Life as Shelagh Mannion
by turnt4turnadette
Summary: What was Shelagh's life in Scotland like? What happened during her days training as a nurse? How does Shelagh come to make the decision to become a nun? This story is an account of the things that occurred during her life from January 1944 to July 1948.
1. Chapter 1

The familiar ring of Shelagh's alarm clock filled her bedroom that morning as she felt for her glasses on the nightstand and put them on. She got out of bed and went over to her closet door to grab her uniform that hung on the knob, ready to be worn for this first day of her last term of secondary school. It had been nice to have time off over Christmas break, but she missed school and the routine that came with it. She then went downstairs to the bathroom so she could start getting ready.

Once she had finished getting ready, she went over to the kitchen and started getting the supplies she needed to make breakfast. She then started to make eggs, bacon and toast for her and her Da that morning. She did the cooking except when the housekeeper, Marjorie, would come on Thursdays to do the cleaning and she would make dinner before she left. When her mother died, Shelagh was eight and far too young to keep up with a house so her Da had no other option except to hire a housekeeper. Marjorie, who also happened to be her great aunt, came six days a week for the first couple of years, until Shelagh was thirteen and able to cook and keep up with laundry along with dishes without help. Then, her father was able to save some money by having her come only one day a week to do the rest of the cleaning. When she got older she even offered to take on all of the housework, but her Da told her that he wanted her to focus on her studies and not worry about keeping up with their whole flat. They did make a compromise that she would do all of the housework on her times off from school to give Marjorie a break and so her Da can save money.

She snapped out her thoughts when she heard her Da come downstairs and say "Good morning"

"Good morning Da, did you sleep well?" she asked

"Yes dear, how about you?" he replied as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"I did too" she answered

"Are you excited to get back to school?" he questioned

"Yes I am" she stated

She put the scrambled eggs on two plates along with the toast that was already sitting on their plates.

"All we have to wait on is the bacon to finish frying and then it will be ready to eat" she told him

"Sounds good" he replied

Moments later, the bacon was ready and she put it on the plates and served breakfast on the table. They ate in a comfortable silence and when Shelagh finished her breakfast, she cleaned the kitchen counter and put the dishes in the sink that she would wash when she got home from school.

She grabbed her backpack from the kitchen chair and said "Bye Da, love you"

"Bye Shelagh, love you too" he replied

She walked out of the kitchen, though the main hallway of the flat and out the door to catch the bus.

The bus ride to school went by uneventful and she walked though the cold January air along with flurries up to the side door of Inverurie Academy. She entered the building and started walking down the hallway towards her homeroom class when she heard some say "Shelagh!"

She looked up to see her best friend, Ella standing in the hallway, her brown curls bouncing up and down along with her brown eyes full of excitement as she walked up to her and hugged her.

"Hello Ella" she replied

"Did you have a good New Year's?" asked Ella

"You know that I was in bed before midnight" she answered laughing

"How about you" she added

"Yes it was good, my parents had a party with some family friends that night at our coffee shop, it was fun" she replied

"That's good" Shelagh said

The warning bell rang, indicating there was only five minutes left until homeroom started, which prompted Shelagh to tell her "Goodbye Ella, see you at lunch"

"Sounds good, bye Shelagh" she replied and they went their separate ways in the hall.

She went to homeroom and they received their schedules for their classes for the last term. At their school, you took 4 classes one term and then the next term you took four different classes that lasted for an hour and a half each with thirty minute study hall and a thirty minute lunch break in between the second and third class. This semester she had English first, Domestic Science second, Geography third and Health Science fourth. Her first day in her classes were pretty uneventful and she learned that she has Domestic Science with Ella, which would keep her entertained in a class she would breeze through. After lunch, she went by the library during study hall to check out a new book to read.

She had gotten to her health science early and decided to read her book while she waited for class to start. The next thing she knew she heard someone sit in the desk beside her and say "Hello there"

She looked around to see if this guy was speaking to someone else, but he was looking at her so she replied hesitantly replied "Hello"

"What is your name?" the young man asked

"My name is Shelagh. What about you?" she answered

"I'm Henry, it's nice to meet you" he told her. She observed the lanky guy in front of her with blonde hair and blue eyes and wondered why he would be speaking to her with her light brown hair and her owlish glasses.

"It's nice to meet you too. Are you in your last year too?" she asked him. She had never seen him before and you had to do a term of biology and a term of chemistry before you got to choose another science, so she knew he had to be either in S5 or S6.

"Yes I graduate at the end of this school year" he answered

"Me too, why haven't I seen you around?" she questioned

"I just started going to school here at the beginning of fall term of S6. We moved from Westhill because of my father's work" he explained

"Where does your father work?" she asked him

He opened his mouth to reply but he was interrupted when Miss Langham started speaking to the class. He smiled apologetically and turned around to face the front of the classroom. She focused her attention on the class, almost one day closer to finishing towards finishing school.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, she once again got to her health science class early and started to read her book. She was deep into the fourth chapter when she heard Henry say "That must be a really great book, I have tried to say hello to you three times and you are just now hearing me"

"Oh I'm so sorry, it is a pretty interesting book though" said Shelagh. If she was being honest with herself she was surprised that he chose to sit by her and speak with her again.

"No worries" he replied

"Did you enjoy a night free of homework?" she asked

"Actually, my French teacher gave an assignment that was due today" he replied

"That's not very nice" she said sarcastically

"Usually the first day is just to get to know the class before actually getting into the learning part" she added

"Well apparently not according to Miss Cahill" he said laughing, which made Shelagh start laughing.

They had to abruptly stop laughing and face the front of the classroom when Miss Langham said "Turn to page five in your textbook"

She finished the first week after Christmas break without a hitch, and before she knew it, the end of January was near and so was the first big tests in her classes. She walked into health science class that Monday afternoon planning in her mind how she would manage her studying time for the week. After her usual greeting and small talk with Henry, she listened to Miss Langham's lecture attentively trying to see what key points might be on the test.

The end of class arrived and she started to get up to leave when Henry said "Would you like to study together for the test during study hall this week?"

"Sure that would be fine" she told him

"Great, see you tomorrow in the library" he replied smiling

"Sounds good" she said and left the classroom

The next day, she went into the library during study hall and sat at an empty table with her books in hand. She placed them on the table and started flipping in her notebook to her most recent notes. She had just looked up from getting her notes ready when she saw him walking towards the table she was sitting at.

"You're always first to class and now you are first to our study session, how do you do it?" he asked jokingly

"It's this simple thing called a watch" she quipped and pointed to the watch on her left wrist

He laughed which made her laugh along with him. He sat at the table and opened up his books and notes so they could study. About twenty minutes into their study session, they were both starting to get tired of the classwork. They did have Wednesday and Thursday to study after all, she thought.

So she took the two Henleys out of her pocket and she discreetly showed them to him saying "Would you like to go to the courtyard for a break from studying"

He looked at her shocked and replied "Sure" and they gathered their things and they left the library

The courtyard at their school was the unofficial smoking corner of the school. While the teachers certainly didn't encourage it, they didn't really scold the students for smoking during school because most of them smoked in the courtyard themselves. Considering it was a time in the day where students had a little more freedom of what to do during the day, there were quite a few other students chatting or smoking in the courtyard despite the cold weather. She got the Henleys out of her pocket along with some matches and handed him a cigarette. She lit the match on the first try and used it to light his cigarette first and then she lit hers.

He took a drag and then asked "You really don't seem like the smoking type to me, but then again you learn something new everyday"

"I've been stealing my father's Henley's since I was fourteen and he has yet to notice, it is one of my best talents" she said jokingly

"I never take his lighter because I know that I will get caught then so that is why I use matches instead and I am sure not to take more than four a week. I thought this might help take the stress off of studying" she added and then took a drag

"Does your Mum suspect anything?" he asked

She frowned and replied "My Mother died when I was eight. It was the dead of winter when she caught a cold but then it escalated to pneumonia and it killed her"

"I am so sorry for your loss, I wouldn't have brought it up if I had known" he said earnestly

"It's okay, I don't mind talking about her" she told him. It still hurt even though it had been almost nine years since she had passed away, but over the years she had gotten better about speaking of her.

After a moment of silence, Shelagh asked "What about your parents, you never got around to telling me where you Dad works"

"He works at the Inverurie Locomotive Works. It reopened in the fall of last year after the bombing in 1941. My dad lost his job in Westhill and a friend had mentioned that the locomotive works was hiring so he applied and got the job and off to Inverurie we went" he stated

"Do you miss it?" she asked him

"Both towns have their good and bad points, but I just miss my friends the most. What I don't like most is leaving my friends behind and not getting to graduate with them" he answered

"Do you have any siblings?" he asked her

"No, I am an only child. What about you?" She replied

"I have a younger brother who is fourteen and a younger sister that is ten" he told her

"That's nice" she said

The bell rang for them to go to lunch and they put out their cigarettes.

They went inside and Henry said "See you in class and thanks for the cigarette"

"You're welcome, see you later" she told him and they went opposite ways in the hallway


	3. Chapter 3

She walked into the lunchroom and found Ella sitting at the end of their usual table. She sat down in front of her and said "Hello Ella"

"Hello Shelagh" she replied

"Have you had a good day so far?" she asked her

"Yes I have how about you?" Ella replied

"Yes it has been good" Shelagh answered as she unpacked her lunch and took a bite out of her sandwich

"Where were you during study hall, I went by the library and I didn't see you there" Ella asked

"I was with Henry from my health science class, we took a break from studying and went to the courtyard to chat" she answered

"Do I know him?" she questioned

"Probably not, he is the same year as us but he moved here just last fall" she told her

"Do you like him?" she asked

"No, we're just friends" she replied as she felt herself blush

"Good, we need to stay focused on our career goals, my dream of teaching and your dream of nursing. If either one of us decides to marry some chap our careers will end before they ever had the chance to really get started." Ella told her

"There is nothing to worry about" Shelagh replied

In an attempt to change the subject, Shelagh said "Have you heard anything back from Bedford College, Queen Elizabeth College or Aberdeen University?"

"Not yet, have you heard anything back from The London Hospital or Aberdeen Royal Infirmary?" she replied

"No news from me either. It is still soon to know anything from both of us, God has called us to these careers and He will find a way" Shelagh assured her. Considering the nursing shortage due to the war, it was just a matter of the applications getting to the right place and processed. Although there was a shortage for teachers too, college requirements for admission were more complex.

They finished their lunches and told each other goodbye so they could get to their next class on time.

Thursday came around a lot sooner than Shelagh wanted it to because that meant that she had tests to take the next day. Her and Henry kept on meeting during study hall each day and now they were currently in the library making the most of their last time to study together.

"So I think that the types of foods that have an abundance of vitamins A,D,E,K will be on the test and the chart listing that is on page 76" she said

"Yes" he replied hesitantly

Shelagh could tell he wasn't really acting like himself during their study session that day, so she finally asked him "Is everything alright?"

"Actually, this test coming up is kind of stressing me out. Science is not one of my strong subjects" he replied

"Well we have been studying everyday this week, you are going to do great on the test" she told him

"It's easier for you to say that because you are so intelligent" he replied

"Thank you and you know more than you think you do" she said

They looked back down at their books and continued to study, but all Shelagh could think about was how her stomach fluttered in a way she had never felt before when he told her she was intelligent. Friday come around and they took the test, which they both felt good about when they finished taking it. The next week they got their grades back. Shelagh made an A- and Henry made a B+, which they were both happy about.


	4. Chapter 4

TW: death, grieving

January turned into February and the day that Shelagh dreaded in early that month had arrived. It was the ninth anniversary of her Ma's death. That year it happened to land on a Saturday, which made things worse because Shelagh did not have school or church to distract her from her feelings. Her and Da ate breakfast in silence that morning, unable to find a reason to smile.

As she was washing the dishes, her father asked "When you finish, will you be ready to visit your Ma's grave?"

Shelagh had already gotten ready that morning because they make time to go visit her grave each year, so she replied "Yes I will be"

They walked over to their church and then they went over to the graveyard that was to the right of it. They didn't ever have any flowers for her because it was too cold for anything to grow this time of year, but when spring arrived, Shelagh would make sure that there were flowers on her Ma's grave. They made the walk over to the second row and the fifth tombstone on the row where she was laid to rest.

They held on to one another, partly because of the cold and partly because they were clinging to each other to comfort one another.

"I still miss her so much, I wish she was still with us everyday" said Shelagh as tears welled up in her eyes

"Me too sweetheart, I think about her each day. I know that she would want to be here to see you all grown up" he replied

"I know" Shelagh stated

They stood there and looked at her tombstone in silence, each of them deep in thought. She started thinking about the happy times with her mother, the times that they would play outside in the garden together along with the goodnight kisses and all the times her Ma would sing to her. She also remembered the kind way her Da looked at her Ma and how they would run the greengrocer stand together. They shared many laughs at the dinner table and they participated in many snowball fights during the wintertime. Holidays were brighter and schoolwork was easier with her mother's help.

Her mind then wondered to her mother's illness. Her Ma would have the worst coughing fits that lead to many handkerchiefs filled with mucus that became blood tinged in her last days. She still remembers every exasperated breath that her mother took in her final days that she was able to hear all the way from her bedroom. Her Da almost never left her side from the time they had come home from the desperate trip to St. Joseph's Municipal Hospital until the moment she died. The memory from that time she remembered most was when her Ma said hoarsely that she loved her as she stroked her hand. The next moment her mother's hand went limp and she stopped breathing. The next thing she knew, her father, who was standing behind her scooped her up and carried her out of the room as she sobbed with her chest writhing in pain. He placed her gently on her bed and went back into the master bedroom to attend to matters that she didn't understand at the time.

The days following that she barely ate anything despite the many casseroles from concerned members of their small town that sat on the kitchen table. She could not stop crying through the entire funeral and burial. Various friends and relatives tried to comfort her, but they could not bring her Ma back, so there was no point in their consolation to her at the time. She barely passed P5 that year because it was all she could do to get any homework done. Her and her Da continued to go to church even though God had taken away her Ma, and she didn't understand why she should love a God who took away her Ma from her family. But one Sunday that summer of 1935, the vicar preached on Deuteronomy 31:6*, and she realized that God had not completely left or forsaken her. She had her Da along with Marjorie, their housekeeper and great aunt, a new friend named Ella that she had met the previous school year and most importantly God himself she could always talk to. For the first time that day in August she realized that she could get through this and that there would be better days than this.

She snapped out of her thoughts when her father said "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes I am" she replied

"Goodbye Ma, I love you" she said to the tombstone

"Goodbye my dear Lorraine, love you" her Da said to the tombstone and they walked home.

When they arrived home, they went upstairs and Da went to his room and Shelagh went into her bedroom and shut the door. She cried for her mother and prayed for peace and understanding of why she had to go so soon, even though she knew that the answer was not hers to have. She went and laid down in her bed, and continued to cry in the pillows ready for this day to end.

She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew she woke up with the hazy feeling that naps usually bring when she would wake up from one. She decided that she wanted to get her mind off of things by looking in one of the books that she checked out from the library about the city of London. She got up and went over to her dresser to retrieve the book from the top of it. She sat on her bed and began to turn the pages, taking in the words and pictures written upon them. To dream of her future, she realized was the only way to get ahead on the hard days, especially today.

When she was ten, she started to read various medical books that were available at the school library and learned many things along with the disease called pneumonia that killed her mother. That dark time in her life along with her desire to learn medical knowledge made her realize that she wanted to be a nurse someday. As she got older the calling she felt to be a nurse only grew and through lots of prayer she felt called by God to become a nurse. She also felt drawn to London because she heard of the terror of the war they were facing and they had plenty of people that needed to be taken care of. She also wanted to live in a big city full of adventure and Ella shared that same wanderlust. Although they wouldn't get to go to school together, they still found comfort in the fact that they could see each other each weekend if they both moved to London. She applied to a teaching hospital in London, but she also applied to one in Aberdeen because the thought of leaving her Da by himself hurt her. Part of her felt selfish for wanting to leave Scotland and start afresh. If she trained in Aberdeen, then she could take the train home and be with her Da every off day she could, but something within her still yearned to go to London in spite of that.

She looked over to see that it was half past five, which meant that she needed to start cooking dinner. She went downstairs to the kitchen so she could get the supplies she needed to start dinner. As she was looking in the refrigerator, she heard a knock on the door. She walked to the front door and opened it to find Marjorie standing at the door with a casserole in hand.

"I thought you and your Da might need this" she said as she handed Shelagh the casserole

"Thank you" she replied

"Your family has been in my thoughts and prayers today" she told her

"Thanks that means a lot" Shelagh replied

"I am expected at home, but I will see you tomorrow at church" she said

"See you later" she replied and then closed the door

She took the chicken casserole to the table and went upstairs to let her father know that Marjorie had brought dinner. They ate in silence once again and they went to bed early that night. Tomorrow would be a new day, Shelagh told herself as she fell asleep that night.

* Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)


	5. Chapter 5

The days following the anniversary of her mother's death went by swiftly and now the end of February was almost at an end. Shelagh and Henry were studying in the library once again because they had another test that Friday. When they had finished for the day, he opened his backpack and pulled out a thermos and two tea cups.

"I know that this is not a cool as your cigarettes, but I have some Nescafé in here that will help us get through the rest of the day, if you would like some" he told her

"No I think that it is sweet your brought Nescafé" she replied giggling

"Would you like to enjoy it at the courtyard" she asked

"That would be good" he replied

They walked out to the courtyard and they sat on one of the benches that was surprisingly open considering the time of day. He got the thermos and cups back out and gave one of the cups to her. He then opened the thermos and filled their cups up.

He was putting the thermos back in his bag as Shelagh said "Did your Ma brew this or did you do it yourself? And how did you sneak two perfectly good coffee cups out of the kitchen?" She asked playfully

"I am perfectly capable of brewing Nescafé and I borrowed the cups from the cupboard when my Ma and Da went upstairs to tuck my siblings into bed last night" he replied

His answer made her realize that he put some real thought into this, which made butterflies stir in her stomach. Did he feel the same way, she wondered. A group of planes flew over the school and they looked up at them slightly startled by the noise.

"I hope that's not the Germans going to bomb Aberdeen again" he said

"I'm so tired of this war going on, I hope it ends soon. It is doing so much harm to so many people" Shelagh stated

"Hopefully it will be over soon" said Henry

They sat and sipped their Nescafe in silence. She scrambled around in her mind for something they could talk about when she realized she did not know what he wanted to do when he finished school.

"What do you plan to do once you graduate?" she questioned

"I am going to start training for a job at the Locomotive Works. I wanted to drop out when we first moved here and start working at the same time my dad did, but they require you to finish secondary school before they will hire you. It will be worth it though because it has a good wage" he answered

"That's good and it seems practical" she told him

"I'm glad you think so. What are your plans?" he asked

"I want to become a nurse. I have applied to a training hospital in Aberdeen and in London, but I haven't heard anything back yet" she told him

"You'll get in, they are all those flyers advertising a need for nurses" he said

The bell rang, which meant their time in the courtyard had to come to an end. They walked back into the school, told each other goodbye and went in opposite directions in the hallway.

The next morning, Shelagh went outside to get the morning post to find a letter from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. She hurried inside so she could open the letter. A huge smile crossed her face when she read that she was accepted and would start July 3rd along with details of lodging and wages. It wasn't London, but if the Lord willed her to stay in Scotland, she would still be grateful that she had the opportunity to train at all.

Her Da walked in and asked "Is that a letter from that hospital in Aberdeen?"

"Yes I got accepted" she said with excitement

He walked over to her, gave her a big hug and said "I am so proud of you"

"Thanks Da" she replied

He let her go and said "Now hurry up or you will miss the bus"

"Yes Da, love you" she told him and walked out of the house towards her bus stop

She was very eager to share her news with Ella. The time for her home economics class arrived and she sat in her desk and waited for Ella to arrive. Not long after she took a seat, Ella walked into the classroom beaming and she took a seat beside her.

"Guess what amazing thing happened" said Ella

"I have some good news too" Shelagh replied

"You go first" she replied

"You can go first" Shelagh stated

"Alright" she said as she opened her backpack that had loose papers all in it along with pens, pencils and other random things cluttered in it.

Shelagh watched as Ella scrambled though her bag trying to find whatever it was she was looking for.

"You really need to clean your backpack out, I don't know how you carry it around like that" Shelagh said jokingly

"Well it's not a problem because I found what I am looking for" she replied as she pulled out an envelope with a letter inside

She opened it and said enthusiastically "I got into Bedford College"

Shelagh smiled and hugged her as she said "Really, that's wonderful, congratulations"

"Thank you. Now all you have to do is get a response from The London Hospital and our dreams of moving there will come true" she exclaimed

"Yes" she stated

"Now what was your news?" asked Ella

"I got accepted to train at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary" She told her

"That's good, congratulations. Although I'm sure that you will also be accepted to train at The London" she said thoughtfully

"We shall see" Shelagh replied

The class fell silent because Miss Evans began to speak to them. She tried to focus that day, but all she could think about was if her application to The London got lost in the mail. But she reassured herself that God's will would be done and everything would work out as it should.

After her and her Da finished dinner that night, it was time for her to go to the church for her Wednesday night choir practice. She told her Da goodbye and she walked over to her church. She arrived and was welcomed by all of the other members, mostly older women, but there were a few women that were younger in the choir. She was the youngest member of the choir. They were all so kind to her and singing brought her so much joy.

"There's our pocket soprano, hello Shelagh" said Mrs. Phillips, who was also the director of music for their church

"Hello Mrs. Phillips, how are you?" She asked as she walked up onto the stage and to where the choir stood to sing every week

"I am doing good how are you?" She replied

"I am fine" said Shelagh

A couple of minutes later, Mrs. Phillips said to the choir "Now this upcoming Sunday we will be singing Here is Love, Amazing Grace, Abide with Me and It Is Well with My Soul during the invitational. Now let's start with Amazing Grace"

She held her arms out and started to compose the group of ladies. As she sang, she thought about her Ma because she also sang in the church choir up until the final weeks of her life. She still remembered the day when she was fifteen and Mrs. Phillips heard her voice. She told Shelagh that her voice reminded her of her mother's and asked her to join. Shelagh was hesitant to accept because the idea of singing in front of everyone made her uneasy, but ultimately after some prayer she decided to accept her offer. She accepted because she wanted to glorify God and it was a way to honor the memory of her Ma. Other members would compliment her voice, she didn't think there was anything special about her voice, but she would humbly smile and say thank you anyways.

She heard the singing around her abruptly stop and she looked over to see Mrs. Phillips no longer conducting them. She quit singing so she could listen to what she had to say.

"I would like to hear more of the alto part in the last line you all sang. Let's try it again" she told them

They once again started singing and it must have been to her liking because she didn't stop them when they moved on to the next verse. The rest of the practice went smoothly and they took their usual tea break when they finished. She had some good conversations and afterwards she started to realize that maybe training to be a nurse near home would be the better option.


	6. Chapter 6

March had arrived which also meant that the time to plant seeds in the garden that supplied her Da's greengrocer stand was quickly approaching. All that they were waiting for is what they think would be the last frost for the winter, which was usually towards the end of March. She helped every single year and she couldn't believe that this one would be her last. She could still remember when her Ma and Da would work on the garden together and they would find ways for her to help as a little girl. She enjoyed spending that time with her Da every year and she was certainly going to miss it.

The morning after they planted the seeds in the garden, Shelagh went out to check the post. She shuffled though the pile of mail to find a letter that she couldn't believe was quite there and she had to do a double take before truly realizing it was there. It was from The London Hospital and her heart started racing at what the letter could possibly say. She put it in her jacket pocket, not quite ready to share the possible news with her Da yet. He knew that she filled out an application at The London, but he just seemed so excited when she got accepted to train in Aberdeen and she didn't want to hurt him with the possibility of her moving out of the country to do so.

She took a deep breath to compose herself and went back inside, acting as normally as she could. She must have done a good job acting because her father did not suspect anything and they said their goodbyes and well wishes for the day as usual. When she got on the bus that morning, she finally found the strength to get the letter out of her pocket and open it. She looked at the contents on the page to find that she was accepted to train at The London, it also contained details about lodging and wages along with her expected arrival day which was June 26th. She smiled brightly and teared up at what she was seeing. The next thing she knew they were pulling up to the school which meant that she had take a deep breath to pull herself together again for the second time that day. She also decided that she would tell Ella her news when she saw her in home economics that day.

After she left her English class, she walked into her next class to find that Ella was already sitting in her desk that day. She walked over to her desk and sat down.

"Hello Shelagh" said Ella

"Hello Ella" she replied

"I have something to tell you" she added

"What is it?" Ella asked

"I got accepted to train at The London Hospital" she told her

A big smile crossed Ella's face and she wrapped Shelagh into a hug as she said "That's wonderful, now we will be going to London together and we can meet up on the weekends, it will be so much fun!"

"Yes, except I haven't told my Da yet" she replied

"I know that he will be very happy for you when you do" Ella said

"I am afraid I am going to break his heart by telling him that I want to leave Scotland" she explained

"I know that it makes things harder for you with your Mum gone and being an only child, I couldn't imagine it" she replied sympathetically

"Yes it does, although I know I have to tell him eventually though" said Shelagh

Later that day, she sat in her health science class thinking about how she was going to tell her Da about her acceptance to train at The London as Miss Langham was teaching. She knew she should be listening, but this was eating at her more than she thought it would. She did not feel this way when she sent a letter requesting an application and not even when she sent her completed application, all she could feel was excitement for her future. Her Da crossed her mind during those times, but now that she was actually planning to train in London, the pain of leaving her Da alone was just now hit her.

The bell rang indicating that class was over and as she was packing her books into her backpack, Henry asked "Is everything alright? You just don't seem like yourself today"

She briefly debated in her mind if she wanted to tell him or not. She usually was only able to confide in Ella about stuff like this, but from all of their study sessions and conversations in the courtyard, something in her she couldn't quite explain decided to trust him with this. So, she answered "I got accepted to train at The London Hospital, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to tell my Da. I didn't feel bad applying to train in London but now that I am actually going is making me feel really guilty for leaving him in Scotland"

"Congratulations on getting in and he probably be sad, but from what you have told me about him he will also be happy that you are accomplishing your goals" he told her

She smiled and said "Thank you and hopefully you are right"

"Just go ahead and tell him, the sooner you do it, the sooner you can stop worrying" he assured her

"I will tell him tonight" Shelagh replied

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow" said Henry

"See you tomorrow" she stated

She went home that day feeling a little better about what was inevitably ahead.


	7. Chapter 7

Shelagh cooked dinner that evening as she awaited her father to come home from work. After receiving much needed advice from her friends, she decided she was going to tell him tonight as they ate dinner. She reminded herself that she has felt called to become a nurse in London for quite some time and this conversation had to happen so that could become a reality. She had just put the pot of stovies on low heat to keep it warm when her Da arrived home.

He walked into the front hallway and said "Hello Shelagh"

"Hello Da, how are you?" She asked

"I am doing good. Did you have a good day at school?" He questioned

"Yes I did, it was just a normal day" she answered

"I made a pot of stovies and it is ready to eat" she added

"Good, I'm so hungry" her father replied

She had two bowls and spoons already out and they got their portion along with a piece of toast before sitting at the table. Shelagh picked at her food, too nervous to eat because of the impending news she was going to share.

Her Da was more than halfway done with his dinner when she finally found the courage to say hesitantly "I have some news to share with you"

"What is it?" he asked

She could see the fear in her Da's eyes in anticipation of what she was about to tell him. She said "I have been accepted to train at The London Hospital and I want to go to London instead of training in Aberdeen"

After he looked at her silently with nothing to say, she added "But I feel awful for wanting to leave you in Scotland by yourself"

He smiled and said "I'm so proud of you Shelagh. I've seen all the books about London you have checked out from the library for the last couple of years and you told me you were going to apply. I knew this was coming and your mother would be so proud of you too" and then he hugged her.

Shelagh felt tears start to form in her eyes as she said "Thanks Da that means a lot, are you sure?" she asked him

"Yes I'm sure, and I won't be alone, I'll have Auntie Marjorie, my friends from church and my friends from work. I am going to be just fine and you can always come visit on your time off. It makes me happy to see you growing up and chasing your dreams" he answered

"Thanks Da, I love you" she told him

"I love you too" he replied

"By how terrified you looked before you told me about this, I thought you were going to tell me that you were in the family way" he said jokingly

"Da, you know that I know better than to get into trouble like that" she playfully scolded

"I know that you are a girl that makes wise choices" he replied sincerely

"Thanks Da" she replied

Shelagh wiped her tears off of her cheeks and then they finished their dinner. They both turned in early that night and Shelagh went to sleep relieved that her future had suddenly become a lot more certain.


	8. Chapter 8

Shelagh shared her good news with Ella and Henry the next day. Ella was super excited and they passed notes in class that day planning their London adventures instead of listening to their teacher. She told Henry during study hall later that day and he was happy for her, but he also said that he would miss seeing her around, which made her a lot sadder than she expected it to. Later that day she sent her letter of acceptance of her spot in the program to The London and her letter declining her spot in the program at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

March passed by and Shelagh started getting things together that she would need for London. She also was helping her Da plant seeds in their family garden that would be harvested later in the year, and they both realized this was the last time they would get to do this together which made them appreciate it even more. She also spent time with Ella every chance she couldand studying with Henry before their tests in health science. Every choir practice and Sunday she got to go to the church she grew up in became more precious considering that they were now numbered.

She walked over to the coffee shop that Ella's family owned and went inside that evening to see Ella running the counter while one of her older sisters, Margaret was cleaning up the back counter area. Ella was the youngest of four sisters, Margaret was the next to the youngest along with Elsie who was second oldest and Annabel being the oldest.

"Hello Shelagh" said Ella when she saw her walk in

"Hello Ella" she replied

"How are you?" Margaret asked

"I am good how are you?" she replied

"I have had a good day os far" Margaret answered

"Do you want tea or coffee?" offered Ella

"A cup of tea would be nice" she stated

"We are about to close for the day and then I will be able to take tea with you. We also have some extra cake we can snack on while we chat" Ella told her

"Sounds good" Shelagh replied

They closed the coffee shop as scheduled and Ella made herself and Shelagh a cup of tea and cut them a slice of cake each. Margaret excused herself to their flat that was behind the shop, which left Shelagh and Ella privacy to talk.

"When we are in London we will have to try some of their tea, I hear that they have some of the best" Shelagh said as she sipped on her tea

Ella frowned and said "Well actually there has been a change of plans"

"What do you mean?" she questioned

"I got accepted to Aberdeen University a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't give it much thought because I already decided to attend Bedford College. But they made it perfectly clear that they did not approve of me moving to London and that they would not help me financially if I decide to move there. I have some savings from working here, but there is no way that I could make it work without help from them. They were pretty serious about it because they kept calling me Fenella, and you know I haven't gone by that name in years" she told her

"So you're not going?" she asked her although she knew the answer

"Yes, I will attend Aberdeen University. Although I will be living on campus throughout the week, but my parents want me home every weekend. It's not fair considering Elsie got to move all the way to France so she could marry Gabriel, but I guess that they don't want me moving to another country on my own and I can't afford to lose my family. I know that they are just trying to protect me because they care, but it is frustrating" she said and started crying

Shelagh handed her a handkerchief, grabbed her hand and said "I know this is not you're first choice and I know that I will miss you, but I will visit and we can catch up with each other just like old times. You may even come to like Aberdeen more than you expected to in the long run"

"Perhaps, it's just I had this dream for such a long time. Maybe I could come and visit you" she replied

"I would like that if things worked out" said Shelagh

"At least Margaret wants to take over the family business so I am free to become a teacher" she replied

"Yes, that is something positive" she stated

They finished their tea and then Shelagh went into their flat to greet her parents before heading home. Knowing that she would be going to London on her own made things more intimidating, but with the strength of God she knew that she could do it.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Excluding the news of Ella's change of plans, the month of April went by uneventful. The weather finally warmed up, which allowed her and Henry to take more study breaks in the courtyard. May arrived, which meant that the end of the semester along with graduation was less than a month away, which excited her very much. But first, another milestone would be celebrated on May 6th, which happened to be today, which was Shelagh's eighteenth birthday. Her Da sang happy birthday to her that morning, continuing the tradition that her Ma had started and had Marjorie come in to do the cooking that day so she wouldn't have to.

Her birthday fell on a Saturday that year and she spent most of the day relaxing, which was hard for her at first, but by the afternoon it felt nice to sit on the bench in the family garden and enjoy some lemonade. That evening, she invited Ella and Henry to come eat dinner at her house to celebrate. Her Da playfully questioned her intentions when she asked if Henry could come over, but she assured him that they were just friends and that was the end of the matter.

Shelagh was in the sitting room as Marjorie was cooking a roast with carrots and steamed potatoes when she heard a knock on the door. Shelagh walked over and opened it to see Ella standing in her front doorway.

"Happy Birthday Shelagh" she said holding a cake tin. Her gift to Shelagh every year was making her favorite cake, which was red velvet and a box of tea packets from her family's coffee shop.

"Thank you" she replied as she gave her a hug

"Come on in to the sitting room while we wait for dinner to be ready" Shelagh stated

"Sounds good" she replied and followed her into the sitting room

About fifteen minutes later, she heard a knock at the door and opened the front door to find that Henry had arrived.

"Happy Birthday" he told her

"Thank you" she replied and noticed that he was holding a small box and an envelope in hand. She wasn't sure what to do next, but Henry leaned forward and gave her a hug and she hugged him back.

"You didn't have to get me anything" she told him

"But I wanted to" he said

"Well thank you, I will be opening presents after dinner so you can sit that on the table of the sitting room" she said

They walked into the sitting room and not long after they all got settled, dinner was ready. Their dinner was filled with laughter and joy along with wonderful food, which was bittersweet to her considering that she was about to leave it all behind to move to London.

Once they finished eating cake, they all went into the sitting room so she could open her presents.

Once everyone was seated, Shelagh said "So Ella got me the wonderful cake that we all just ate along with some tea from her family's coffee shop, so thank you so very much"

"You're welcome, but I decided to get you something else this year" Ella replied

Shelagh looked over to find a extra box next to the two boxes and a big paper bag that she remembered sitting on the table before dinner. She grabbed the one that wasn't there before and opened to find that there was a small camera on the inside.

"Something to capture your new adventure with" Ella stated

Shelagh smiled and said "That was really kind of you, thank you. How did you manage to sneak it in here?"

"I brought it over earlier without you knowing and your Da brought it in here after you were seated for dinner" she answered

"Well you did a good job of making it a surprise" she replied

"Thank you" Ella told her

She grabbed the next box, unwrapped the paper and opened the box to find a stethoscope inside along with a card that indicated that it was from her father.

"Thank you so much Da, where in the world did you get this?" she asked him

"That day I told you I would be working over, I actually took the train into Aberdeen and got it from a shop there. I hope that you can get a lot of use out of it during your training" he answered

"That is so sweet, thank you" she told him

"You're welcome sweetheart" he replied

She grabbed the paper bag next and opened it to find a a crocheted blanket on the inside that was made with red and blue yarn, but with no card indicating who it was from. Henry didn't bring a bag, so the only other person it could have been from is Marjorie.

"Thank you so much Auntie Marjorie" she told her

"I know you may not need it right away, but although London winters are not quite as cold as Inverurie winters, I hope that it will remind you of home" she said

"I think that it will. Thank you, for cooking such wonderful meals today and for the blanket" she told her

"You're welcome" she replied smiling

She then grabbed the small box that Henry had brought and opened it to find a bracelet with blue and silver beads wrapped around it. Underneath it she noticed a piece of paper folded up which read:

 _I got you something else underneath the tissue paper, but you need to be discreet about looking at it because I am not sure your Da will like it._

 _\- Henry_

She moved the tissue paper over as discreetly as she could to find a lighter intended to light cigarettes. She smiled and had to stop herself from giggling and thankfully no one else noticed, except for Henry, who was beaming at her when she looked back up at him.

"Thank you for the bracelet, it is so pretty" she told him as she put it on her wrist

"You're welcome" he replied

"I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight and I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you all for supporting me as I move to London next month, I know that it is not easy and I will miss everyone here so much" said Shelagh and then she started tearing up

"You're going to be just a train ride away. I will miss seeing you almost everyday, but we will write and still get to visit on holidays" Ella reassured her

"I know that you will go to London and make us all proud as you work towards becoming certified as a nurse" said Marjorie

"You make me so proud Shelagh and I will cherish each visit that you are able to make" Da stated

"From the short time I have known you, I know that you will do great training as a nurse" Henry told her

"Thank you all for your kind comments" said Shelagh

They all sat and talked in the sitting room for a little while longer. Marjorie was the first one to leave, with Ella and Henry shortly following her. Once they said their goodbyes, her and Da cleaned up the sitting room and kitchen before they went to bed that night.


	10. Chapter 10

Shelagh and Henry sat on the bench in the courtyard each with a cigarette in hand. She took the lighter that Henry gave her for her birthday and lit both cigarettes. It was finals week and there was two days left until it was time for them to take their health science final. Shelagh wasn't worried about her grades as she was making A's in all of her classes, but the opportunity to smoke at a time like this was still much welcome.

"It is hard to believe that this will be our last time to study together" said Henry

"Yes it is, are you glad that this is the last time that you will ever have to study for a test?" she asked him and then took a drag

"Very much so. There is no way that I would have made it through this class without you, science is not my best subject. I am so glad that we met" he answered

She smiled and blushed before saying "Thank you, that was really sweet and I am glad that we were able to study together too"

"No problem. How many of your finals do you have left?" he questioned and then took a drag

"Just this one and home economics, which is going to be a breeze. We just had to write a paper for my english final, which I did last week and my geography final was yesterday. What about you?" she replied

"I just have health science and my french class. I took my Scottish history final yesterday and my math final two days ago" he told her

"That's good" she replied

The bell rang which meant study hall was over and it was time for lunch. They put out their cigarettes, went inside and told each other goodbye.

Shelagh took all of her tests and the last day of school came and went. She made straight A's that semester which made her an official Inverurie Academy graduate. It was a bittersweet feeling walking out of the school doors for the very last time as a student. She was sad that she wouldn't get to see her friends everyday anymore along with the routine that school brought to her life, but she was also excited about the new journey that was ahead of her.

Graduation day arrived that Saturday in late May and she looked at herself in the mirror in her black cap and gown. She had dreamed of this day for quite a while now and she couldn't be happier that it was finally happening. She wished her Ma was able to be here to see her in person, but she had hope though her faith that her Ma was watching over her from heaven. She walked downstairs into the sitting room where her Da was dressed in his nicest suit as he sat on the settee ready to head to the ceremony.

He turned to face her and said "You look so beautiful and smart"

"Thanks you" she replied

"Are you ready to head that way?" he asked

"Yes I am" she replied

They arrived at the school gymnasium where the ceremony was to take place. She found Ella in the crowd before the ceremony started and she ran up to her and hugged her.

"We finally made it" said Shelagh

"Yes we did" Ella replied excitedly

"I'll see you after the ceremony" she told her

"See you then" Ella replied

They sat in their assigned seats and a couple of minutes later, the ceremony started. After hearing speeches from the headmaster and two guest speakers, it was time for the students to walk across the stage. Before she knew it, it was time for her row to stand up and line up by the stage to receive their diplomas.

"Shelagh Mannion" the headmaster called

She walked up to him, shook his hand and received the leather cover that her diploma was encased in. She looked at the crowd to see her Da clapping for her and beaming which made her smile brightly. She walked across the stage and went back to her seat. The ceremony eventually ended and everyone got up to meet with their families. She found her Da and as the were walking across the gymnasium they found Henry with his younger brother and sister along with his parents.

"We're finally done with this place" said Henry

"Dad, Mum, this is Shelagh, we had health science together last semester and she helped me study. I went to her birthday dinner earlier this month" Henry told them

She shook his Dad's hand and then his Mum's and said "It is nice to meet you all"

"This is my Da" she told them as he shook Henry's Mum and Dad's hands

"Nice to meet you all, it is hard to believe that our children are growing up" said Da

"Yes, it seems like yesterday he was starting primary school and now he is about to start working with me" said Henry's father

"I am just so thankful with us moving Henry was able to make some new friends. I was concerned about the younger ones too, but when you get to a certain age in school it gets harder to fit in" said Henry's Mum

Unsure of what to say to that, she replied "He has been a good friend"

Shelagh and her father told them goodbye and they walked over to Ella and her family. Her parents were there along with Annabel, her husband and two small boys and Margaret.

"Congratulations" said Margaret

"Yes Congratulations" said Annabel

"Thank you" Shelagh replied to the both of them

"This step is over and now you are nursing school bound and I am university bound" Ella said with excitement

"Yes, it seems like yesterday that Shelagh and Ella were little girls still running around playing pretend and now they have finished secondary school" said Ella's mum

"Mum" Ella lightly scolded

"But you two were so sweet back then when you would have tea parties at our flat" said Ella's Dad

"Yes those were pretty fun" said Shelagh as she giggled

"They would also pretend to be gardeners when they would play at our flat" said her Da

"Yes we would" said Ella and they all laughed

"Well we should probably be heading home" said Ella's Dad

They said their goodbyes and when they left the group Shelagh said "I have to use the lavatory, I will be right back"

"I'll wait here" her father replied

She walked out of the gymnasium and over a couple of hallways to the nearest lavatory. When she was finished, she walked out of the lavatory into the hallway and turned to see Henry walking out of the men's lavatory by himself.

"Can we talk?" he asked her

"Sure" she replied

She followed him down a couple of more hallways and he stopped where they didn't think anyone could see. He turned around to face her and said "Can I kiss you?"

"What?" she replied in shock

"I like you a lot, I've had feelings for you since we studied for our first test. You're so sweet, smart, humble and beautiful"

Shelagh couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had these feelings too, but she assumed that he wouldn't want to fall for a girl like her, with her pale skin and owlish glasses, who wanted an education and a career. It took her a while to realize what she was feeling, but when she did, she did everything she could to deny it for the sake of the friendship. She thought it was all one sided and the signs of him liking her more than a friend were in her head, but she was wrong. She had learned to hush the butterflies that flew in her stomach when she was around him a long time ago and was surprised at how quickly they came back at just a couple of words. She also couldn't believe that she was about to have her first kiss.

"I like you too" she told him

He leaned in and she shut her eyes as his lips met hers. His lips were soft and she moved her lips along with his, unsure of what she was doing, but that what they were doing felt so right to her. A fire coiled in her stomach that she had never known and this moment was a lot more satisfying than she expected it to be.

Much too soon, they parted and he said "Stay, please stay. We could enter a courtship and get married and you wouldn't have to worry about getting through training or working a day of your life. I could support you and we could have a beautiful family and —"

"Stop right there. You don't understand me. I have dreamed of being a nurse since I was ten years old and I have felt called by God to do this since I was fifteen. I am not going to give that up for you and I can't believe that you would even ask me to" she told him as she felt tears falling down her face

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean —" he said

"Don't. I like you and I enjoyed kissing you but that doesn't mean I am going to drop my life plans like almost every other girl does in this small town to marry some chap. I am meant for so much more and I am sorry that you don't see that" she replied

"I am sorry that I have offended you" he said sincerely

"Thank you for apologizing, but I think it is best if we don't see each other anymore" she said

"If that's what you want" he stated

"Goodbye Henry" she told him

"Goodbye Shelagh" he replied

She turned around and walked away towards the gymnasium, adrenaline still flowing from their kiss as she frantically tried to dry her tears before facing the public again.


	11. Chapter 11

"You still really haven't heard anything from him?" asked Ella

"No I haven't. I am not really expecting to because I am the one who ended things" she answered and then took a sip of her coffee

"Well you're leaving in less than a week, you would have thought he would at least send a letter" she replied

"We left things on a bad note, I basically rejected him" she told her

"Because he did not respect your wishes to pursue a career. I think he should try to make amends" Ella replied

They had discussed this on multiple occasions since graduation day, but Shelagh really didn't have any hard feelings towards him. "He did apologize that night for offending me like I had told you before and it is not like we will ever get to actually court, I am ready to move on from this" she stated

Ella sighed and said "Alright, have you finished packing?"

"I have packed just about everything I could except the outfits I will be wearing these last couple of days and my toiletries" she answered

"You have probably been all packed up and ready for the last month" she quipped lightly

"Guilty is charged" she replied laughing and Ella joined her

"There have been a few last minute additions. At my last choir rehearsal, the ladies threw me a surprise going away party and gave me a copy of the sheet music to "Here Is Love" as a going away present" she added

"That was sweet of them" Ella said and then took a sip of her coffee

"Yes it was, I will definitely miss our little church, I can't believe that I have already attended my last service there for a while" she told Ella

"I don't know what I am going to do without you until I start university in September" she said

"It will go by faster than you think" Shelagh reassured her

"Ella, time to get back to work" her Mum called from the front counter

"Well that's the end of my break, see you Saturday" she told her

"Bye Ella" she replied as she got up and hugged her. Ella went back to the front counter and Shelagh left the coffee shop to head home.

That Thursday, Marjorie was cleaning the sitting room as Shelagh sat on the settee, reading the book of Colossians. It was decided that Marjorie would come over to cook and clean five days a week once Shelagh moved to London. With her Da working, she realized that now would be a good time to give her a proper thank you considering this would be the last time that she was going to see her for a while.

"Thank you for always being there for me, especially when my Ma couldn't anymore. It really meant a lot to me, especially in the first couple of years after she died. You have helped me out in ways my Da couldn't and I am grateful for that. Thank you for looking out for my Da all of these years too and for taking care of him while I am gone" she told her

Her mind flashed back to the comforting hugs she gave her when she couldn't stop crying at her Ma's funeral, teaching her everything she knew about cookery and cleaning. Auntie Marjorie helped her when she started having monthlies at fifteen and advised her on the best places in town to get dresses.

"You're welcome dear. I am so proud of the kind young lady you have become and I know your Ma would be so proud of you too"

She smiled, tearing up slightly and replied "Thank you"

Marjorie smiled and continued to clean the sitting room and Shelagh resumed her reading. When Marjorie finished cooking dinner that night they embraced in a tight hug before she left. It was hard for Shelagh to believe that she was actually leaving in two days.

* * *

The next evening, she was doing her final packing in her bedroom when she heard a knock at the door. Her Da answered the door and she was surprised when she heard Henry's voice coming from downstairs. She looked in the mirror quickly to fix her hair. She then walked out of her room and to the front door.

"Hello Shelagh" said Henry

"Hello" she replied

She could feel the tension building up in the small front entryway, and she looked over to her Da. Although he did not know everything that went down at graduation, she could tell that he could sense the ongoing tension also.

"Can me and Henry go outside for ten minutes to talk?" she asked her Da

"That is fine, I will be in the sitting room" he answered

"Thank you" she said and walked out of the flat. They took a step back from the front door, but were still close enough to be on the front entryway and not in the street. It was pretty quiet out there that night as they just looked at one another, unsure what to say.

Finally, Henry said "Look, I am so sorry for what happened after graduation and I wanted to make sure we were on better terms before you leave. I wish you the best and I think that you are going to make a great nurse"

"Thank you and although we will never be, I want you to know that you are so kind and funny and you will make a girl so happy someday. I wish you the best at your new job" she told him

She briefly contemplated the possible consequences of what she was about to do before she concealed the nervousness inside of her and leaned in to kiss him. He kissed her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist as their lips moved against one another.

Shelagh broke their embrace and said "I think our ten minutes are almost up"

"Goodbye Shelagh" he told her

"Goodbye Henry, see you around" she replied before he walked off

She walked back into the house and was relieved when her Da did not ask questions. She went back upstairs to her room and took the bracelet he gave her out of her nightstand drawer and slipped it into her suitcase before going to bed that night.

* * *

After they ate breakfast that morning, she got her packed suitcases from upstairs. She took one last look at her room, sentimental of the place where she found peace and safety from the world around her before heading downstairs. She walked over to the front door giving one last look at the flat she grew up in before her Da walked up to the front door asking "Are you ready?"

"Yes I am" she replied

Just then she heard a knock on the door which she assumed was Ella, who had agreed to walk with her to the train station to see her off. She opened the door to find Ella there and she said "Today is the big day"

"Yes it is finally here" replied Shelagh

Her Da carried her two suitcases as they all left the house and they walked over to the train station. They arrived at the platform ten minutes early so she could board the train that would take her to Aberdeen which she would then have to board another train that would take her from Aberdeen to London. She checked her handbag one last time to make sure that she had her train ticket, her packet of information about The London along with instructions concerning her arrival and her wallet.

"Goodbye Shelagh, I love you so much and I hope you make it safely. Don't forget to write and to find a church family when you get there" said her Da as he enveloped her in a hug

When they finished hugging she saw that he was crying, which made tears start falling down her face "I love you too Da, thank you for supporting me on this journey I am about to take"

"You're welcome" he replied

She turned around to Ella, who was already crying as she said "Thank you for being such a wonderful best friend and promise me that you will write me too"

Shelagh hugged her and replied "I will and thank you for being there for me, you reached out to me at a dark time in my life and I am so grateful for that"

"You're welcome" she replied

Not long after that the train pulled up and she grabbed her suitcases before waling over to the entrance to get on the train. She looked over to her Da and Ella and waved at them one last time before entering the doorway to the passenger seating. She took a seat and it hit her that the day she had anticipated for months was finally happening, which excited her and worried her at the same time. But in that moment she realized she was completely sure of what she was doing and looked ahead to the future.


	12. Chapter 12

The first train ride was a breeze, she had taken the train to Aberdeen a couple of times before and the almost hour long ride was over in no time. She got off the train and found her way to the next train she was supposed to get on without a problem. After briefly waiting for its arrival, she boarded the train and made sure she got comfortable in the seat she would spend almost eight hours in. Once they set off, she started reading to pass the time until lunch was served. After lunch, she looked out the window and watched the countryside pass by and even managed to take a short nap. When she woke up, she decided to read some more and the next thing she knew they made their last stop before arriving to London. She put her book away and located the papers that The London sent about her lodgings and the training program. She skimmed the pages until she found the instructions that applied the most to her at the moment, how to get to The London from Victoria station. She looked over the information and suddenly became nervous about navigating this new city alone.

She had to put all apprehensive thoughts aside because the train pulled up to Victoria station. Once they got the all clear, she grabbed her two suitcases and handbag and then exited the train. She had to find her way to the bus stop to take the number 38 bus and ride until it arrived at Redwood Street. She made her way to the station without trouble thanks to helpful signs along the way. She sat on one of the benches with her suitcases sitting beside her and when the 38 bus finally arrived, she looked down at her watch and realized she had been waiting for almost thirty minutes. She sighed and got up from where she was sitting to get on the bus. She paid her fare and she looked out at the street that they were on and the buildings that surrounded it. London looked similar to the city streets of Aberdeen, except much busier and it made Inverurie look a lot smaller than it really was. She always loved the city streets of Aberdeen the few times that she got to visit and she smiled at the thought of seeing the city streets in London everyday. As they got farther away from the center of London, she saw some of the damaged buildings that were yet to be fixed from The Blitz.

She looked out for the different signs that indicated which stop they were approaching. She watched and waited to see a sign saying Redwood Street, but it started taking a lot longer than expected for the bus to arrive at that particular stop. She looked to find a sign that said West Chelsea Street, which set a slight panic in her stomach since the map that she looked at showed that The London was closer to the east side of London. It was just the one street name, she thought to herself, surely it didn't mean that she was at the wrong part of London. She looked through her papers again which made the panic rising within her get a lot worse because she realized she had misread which bus to get on, she was supposed to take the number 58 instead of 38.

When the attendant taking up fare money walked by, she asked him "How do I get off of this bus and on to the number 58 bus?"

"Well the number 58 bus does not come this way, where did you get on this bus at?" he asked her

"At the Victoria train station" she answered

"You will have to stay on this bus until it circles back around to the Victoria again and then you will have to wait for the 58 bus from there and then you will be on your way" he told her

"Thank you for your help" she said

"You're welcome" he replied

She anxiously waited until the bus returned to Victoria station, which wasn't for another half hour. She was frustrated at herself because she was going to have to pay for bus fare again. She had a good chunk of change from her graduation gifts, but she also didn't know when she was going to get her first paycheck which meant she was trying to save as much as she could. She was also getting hungry and wasn't sure what food options would be around once she got there. When the bus finally pulled into the stop closest to Victoria station, she got off and went back to the seating area outside for people waiting on buses. As she was about to sit down, she got a whiff of what smelled like fried fish and turned to her right to see a fish and chips stand just at the end of the street. She briefly debated on whether or not to eat now or later, but then she remembered that she had to wait almost half and hour for the last bus and was sure she could eat and still make it in time to get on the 58 bus. She purchased some fish and chips and sat on a bench by the bus stop to eat her meal. She had only had fish and chips a handful of times in her life, but it was a good thing she liked it because she had a feeling that she would be in need of many more quick meals to come.

She finished eating with just enough time to discard the newspaper it was wrapped in when the 58 bus arrived. She got on and paid the fare once again and after five more stops, the stop for Redwood Street finally arrived. She got off the bus and followed the directions in the letter. After walking a couple of blocks, she had finally arrived at the Nurses Home that was two doors down from The London. She walked into the main entrance, unsure if anyone would be there to check her in considering it was well past seven at night. She looked up to fine a middle aged woman in a nurses uniform sitting at the front desk.

She walked up to her and said "Hello, I am Shelagh Mannion and I am here to check into my lodgings, I start training on Monday"

"Better late than never I guess. Do you have your acceptance letter?" she asked firmly

"Yes, here it is" she answered as she had already had her papers in hand from trying to find her way there

She examined it and then looked on her list on the front desk. She then opened a drawer to get a key and a couple of papers before replying "Ms. Mannion, you will be in room 104, here is a list of the rules along with your schedule for next week. You will have a roommate and the communal bathrooms are located at the end of each hallway"

"Thank you" she replied kindly

"You're welcome" the woman replied

She walked down the hallway until she found room 104 and was thankful that her room was on the first floor so she wouldn't have to go up and down stairs after long days. She was also nervous because she had never had a roommate before, what if she was put with someone that she didn't like? She unlocked the door and opened it to find that her roommate was sitting in her bed reading.

"You gave me a fright" she said to Shelagh

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm Shelagh, your roommate" she replied and extended her arm to shake her hand

"I'm Charlotte it's nice to meet you" she replied as she shook Shelagh's hand. She was so pretty with her blonde hair and blue eyes, she thought to herself.

"Where are you from?" asked Shelagh

"I'm from Manchester. What part of Scotland are you from?" Charlotte questioned

"Inverurie. It is about a hour train ride from Aberdeen" she answered

"So we will be figuring out London together then? I have been here a couple of times when I was a child, although the last time I was here I was only eleven" Charlotte told her

"Apparently so, although I haven't been here but a couple of hours and I have already taken a wrong bus. That's why I am just now getting here" she said laughing

Charlotte laughed and replied "Well thankfully you are here now"

"Yes, finally" she stated

Shelagh put her suitcases on the other bed and unpacked her things. She put her clothes in drawers along with her "Here Is Love" sheet music. She then unpacked the blanket Marjorie crocheted her on the bed and her handbag along with her toiletries that she was about to use to shower and get ready for bed. She took the lighter and bracelet Henry gave her along with her Bible, stationary kit, the camera that Ella gave her and the stethoscope from her Da into her nightstand drawer.

She gathered her toiletries along with towels, her key and pajamas before saying "I am going to go shower, I will be right back"

As she walked to the bathroom, she realized that it would have been nice to have a smaller bag to carry everything in. She showered and then came back to her room to get ready for bed. She tiptoed quietly because when she opened the door, she found that Charlotte was asleep. She put her things away and climbed into bed. She read a chapter from Proverbs to wind down before she went to sleep. She cut off her lamplight that night and said a prayer of thanks to God for getting her there safely and then fell asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

She woke up the next morning still tired from the travels of the day before. She was thankful that she decided to come in a day early to give her a chance to recuperate from her travels before she started her training. She sat up to find Charlotte was already dressed and was styling her hair in the mirror.

"Good morning" she said to her still focused on the mirror

"Good morning" she replied

"We missed breakfast, so we go out and eat if you want too and then we could explore London a little bit" Charlotte asked

"Sure that would be good, give me 20 minutes to get ready and then we can head out" she answered

She put on her glasses and looked over at the clock and saw that it was almost nine. She got up, put on her housecoat, grabbed her toiletries along with her outfit she was going to wear for the day and left their room to go to the bathroom. Once she brushed her teeth and changed her clothes, she went back into her room so she could style her hair. She put it into her usual braided bun and then quickly tidied her half of the room before they left.

"I'm ready" said Shelagh

"Sounds good, lets head that way" she replied

They walked out of the Nurses Home and Charlotte asked "Do you want to start walking towards the right or left?"

Shelagh briefly thought about it before saying "Let's go to the right"

"To the right is is" she replied and they started walking. They walked down to the end of the street and then they took another right without much luck of finding somewhere to eat. They walked down the next street with no better luck. There was nothing except a small grocery store, which Shelagh made a self note of that because she would need to go there within the next couple of days. The walked over to the next street and they finally found a little restaurant called The Grove. They went inside and it didn't look like an overly fancy restaurant much to Shelagh's relief.

"How many?" asked the hostess

"Table for two please" Charlotte answered

She grabbed two menus and took them over to a table that sat by the window.

"Well this is a table with a nice view" Shelagh said

"Yes it is" she replied

The waiter came by and took their drink orders and they both got tea. They looked at the menu so they could decide what they wanted to eat.

"Have you ever had an English Breakfast platter?" Charlotte questioned

"No I have not, how about you?" she replied

"I have, it is pretty good. That's what I am going to get" she stated

"I think that's what I want to try" Shelagh told her

A couple of minutes later, the waiter came by again to take their food order and they told him what they wanted to eat. He took their menus and promised them that their food would be out shortly. As they waited, the silence between them started to get uncomfortable, which caused Shelagh's thoughts to scramble in an attempt to find something to talk about.

Finally, she decided to say "Why did you decide to train in London?"

"I had grandparents that lived here and we would come twice a year for a week to visit for as long as I can remember growing up. We quit coming when the war started and not long after that we got the letter that they died in The Blitz. But I just remember it being so pretty here and it was always fun to visit growing up. My parents were reluctant to let me come considering what happened to my grandparents, but I was able to convince them that I would be fine" she answered

"I am sorry about your grandparents" she told her

"Thank you, what about you?" she questioned

"Inverurie is a small town in the country and the few times my family would take the train into Aberdeen, I always loved walking down the city streets and how busy it was along with being so close to everything. I knew that I didn't want to live in the country my whole life. Hearing on the wireless about how bad London was being destroyed because of the war made me consider it and then after praying about it, I felt like God was calling me to come here to train as a nurse. I have only seen pictures of London in books until yesterday" she told her

"I know that had to take a lot of faith to act on that call, I'm a Christian too, what denomination are you?" she replied

"Church of Scotland, but I guess that will change considering I don't live in Scotland anymore" she told her

"I grew up into an Anglican church, maybe we could find a church here and we could go to together" said Charlotte

"That would be good" she replied

"Do you have any siblings?" Shelagh added

"I have a sister who is just two years younger than me. She is sixteen and is already in a courtship, which takes some of the pressure off of me. What about you?" she stated

"I am an only child" she told her

Their plates arrived and she examined her platter which consisted of sausage, tomato slices, baked beans, fried eggs, toast, ham and steamed mushrooms. She looked at her plate bewildered at the fact anyone would eat baked beans for breakfast.

"What is it?" asked Charlotte

"Up in Scotland we only eat baked beans for lunch and dinner that's all" she replied

They laughed in unison and Charlotte said "Well that's England for you"

"Yes" Shelagh said and they started eating

Shelagh enjoyed everything except the sausage, she preferred bacon to go with her breakfast. They finished their meal and then paid their bill.

They walked out of the restaurant and Shelagh asked "Do you want to go back or is there something else that you had in mind to do?"

"Let's explore, but only if you are up to it" she proposed

"That sounds good, we have a whole day ahead of us" she said

They walked down more streets, admiring all of the shops that were around and they even went in and looked around in a few of them. Eventually they found a small park and walked around there for a while. It was filled with flowers and green grass along with some trees and a pond that reminded her of home. She turned to face Charlotte and saw that she was looking at her watch.

"It's almost one o' clock, it looks like we will be missing lunch too" she said as she laughed

"The others probably don't know that we exist" Shelagh replied giggling

"I saw a grocery store on the way over, maybe we could stop by and get stuff to make peanut butter and jam sandwiches" she added

"That sounds good" Charlotte replied

They went to the grocery store and arrived back at the Nurse's Home. They went into the kitchen and took out the bread, jam and peanut butter they bought and borrowed a butterknife to make the sandwiches. It was just the two of them in the kitchen and commons area considering just about everyone was either at lecture, working a shift or getting settled into their room. They finished making sandwiches and they walked over to a table in the commons areas to eat their late lunch.

As they were eating, another girl who looked about her age wearing street clothes walked into the commons area. Her brown hair was styled neatly and was wearing a very pretty dress. She walked over to the table and asked "Are they still having lunch?"

"No, but we can make you a peanut butter and jam sandwich along with some biscuits" Shelagh replied

"That would be lovely, thank you. It has been a long day" the girl told them

Shelagh got up and went back into the kitchen and made the girl a sandwich. She went back into the commons area and placed the sandwich on the table where she was sitting.

"Thank you so much" the girl told her

"You're welcome, what is your name?" she asked

"Alice, and you?" she questioned

"Shelagh, it is nice to meet you" she told her

"It is nice to meet you too" Alice replied and then took a bite of her sandwich

"Are you one of the new students that starts training tomorrow?" asked Shelagh

"Yes I am, how about you two?" she replied

"We are too" Shelagh stated

"Where are you from?" asked Charlotte

"I have lived in London my whole life. I wanted to make it over here in time for lunch, but my parents are divorced and my Dad wanted to see me before I came over here. So I had to go by my Dad's flat after telling my Mum goodbye, which took longer than expected and made me late" she answered

"At least you made in time for class tomorrow" said Shelagh

"I suppose that is one way to look at it" she replied

How long have you two been here?" asked Alice

"I have been here since yesterday afternoon and Shelagh arrived yesterday evening" Charlotte replied

"That's nice, where did you two come from?" Alice asked

"I am from Inverurie, which is about an hour train ride away from Aberdeen and Charlotte is from Manchester" she answered

"And you and Charlotte are roommates?" she questioned

"Yes we are, we just met yesterday" Shelagh answered

"That's good, they put me in one of the corner rooms where there is only room for one bed, so I have it to myself. Although strangely enough, I was kind of looking forward to having a roommate, but is better than ending up with someone I don't like" she told them

"Yes it is" Charlotte stated

They finished their sandwiches and biscuits and then invited Alice to come and socialize with them in their room. She accepted and they ended up all sharing lots of laughter along with good conversation. They had dinner with some of the other nurses and student nurses that night before turning in early in anticipation of the start of training.


	14. Chapter 14

The schedule she received stated that they had to be ready and in the commons area by eight in the morning, but she wanted to be there earlier to have breakfast when it was served at a quarter past seven. Once she was ready, wearing the most modest dress she owned, she read Psalm 94 and said a prayer to calm her fears and asked for God's help on new journey she was about to embark on. She had read and heard about how hard it could be to train as a nurse, but she was also excited about her childhood dream coming true. She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure her hair was in place before leaving her room to go and eat breakfast. She went into the kitchen to get some food and then joined Alice and Charlotte at a table in the commons area.

"Are you all ready to start training today?" she asked them

"I've been ready since I finished secondary school. My aunt who was a nurse before she married always had interesting stories to tell and I look forward to having interesting stories to tell of my own someday" Charlotte replied

"I am looking forward to it, although I didn't decide I wanted to be a nurse until about three months ago. I quit school at 15 and started working at my Mum's haberdashery shop. I was tired of that so I decided to try nursing because it seems like a respectable career and here I am. It also gives me the opportunity to live on my own without paying a fortune" Alice told them

"How are you feeling about it?" asked Charlotte

"I am nervous but also excited. I have wanted to be a nurse since I was ten. The idea of getting to train as a nurse someday is what got me through the seemingly endless years of secondary school" she answered

"I saw on the schedule where we will be spending the first eight weeks in lecture before we actually get to start working on a ward" said Alice

"I guess we have to start somewhere" Shelagh replied. That probably meant that they wouldn't be getting paid either, but thankfully she had some savings to fall back on, she just hoped no one else would struggle too badly.

"I know it is for the best, but I am ready to actually care for patients" said Charlotte

"Me too" said Charlotte

"I agree" Shelagh stated

They finished their breakfast and went back in the commons area to wait for the arrival of their nursing instructors. Right at eight in the morning, two women, one who looked younger and one who looked like she was in her fifties walked into the commons area with stern looks on their faces. Their uniforms were ironed to near perfection and their hair was neatly pinned into their frilly caps.

"Good morning ladies, I am Sister Crawford" said the older one

"And I am Sister Hastings. We will be the ones who will be giving your lectures and tests for the first two months" said the one who looked to be in her early thirties

Sister Hastings looked at her clipboard and started calling out names to take roll of all the students that would be starting with them. There was a little more than thirty of them total, she estimated.

Once she finished, Sister Crawford said firmly "Nursing is not fun and games. If you don't think that you will be able to bathe someone, or help a patient use a bedpan, or witness someone bleed out and vomit then you should just walk out of here right now. Sister Hastings and I are going to be hard on you all because you all need to be equipped with the skills and be competent enough to care for us when we are old and sick"

Shelagh quickly knew that Sister Crawford was not one you would want to play with and became intimated by her little speech. She looked over at Charlotte and Alice who looked about as overwhelmed as she was.

"First we will go by laundry where you will be fitted for uniforms. Then you will wear your uniforms as we tour the hospital. We will end the tour in the lecture hall where we will teach as much as we can before your lunch break from noon to one and then we will lecture from one to four. You will then be dismissed for the day. You will attend lecture Monday through Friday from nine to four with tests from nine to ten thirty each Friday for the first two months. We will discuss ward schedules at a later day" Said Sister Hastings

"Let's go" Sister Crawford stated

Shelagh got up along with the other students and they followed them out of the nurses home and after a brief walk down the street, they entered The London. Shelagh observed the doctors and nurses along with the white floors and pale green walls. It was a busy place and the lighting was slightly grim, but that wasn't shocking to her considering it was a hospital. They walked up the stairs and down the hall to the laundry room.

Sister Crawford said to one of the laundry employees "These are the new students we told you about yesterday, see they get two nursing uniforms each"

"Yes Sister" she replied

After a trying on two different sizes, she finally decided on one and let one of the other laundry employees know. She handed her a second uniform in a paper bag that had enough space to put her old clothes in. She looked down at the light purple dress that went down passed her knees and smoothed out her white apron. She would have a hard time getting used to the puffy sleeves, she had never worn anything quite like them in her life. She looked in a small mirror to make sure her cap was on straight and smiled, it was really happening, she thought to herself, she was going to be training as a nurse.

"I wonder where our belts are?" asked Alice

As if on cue, Sister Crawford said "You get belts when you get certified. Also you will wear your uniforms to class each day. They have to be freshly laundered and ironed before you wear them in public. Your hair should be pinned back into your cap with not a single strand out of place or you will be reprimanded"

Once everyone was ready, they left the laundry area and took a tour of the hospital. They went by the male surgical, female surgical, children's ward, maternity ward, cardiovascular ward, geriatric ward and the psychiatric ward. They also were shown the cafeteria and the emergency department on the ground level. They went to the back hallway and into a doorway that had a small classroom with a chalkboard, desks and chairs. They all took a seat and Sister Hasting briefly lectured on the etiquette expected of nurses before lunch. They all went back to the Nurses Home where lunch would be served without cost. Shelagh, Charlotte and Alice all got their food and took a seat.

"Is it just me or is this all really overwhelming?" asked Alice

"It is definitely overwhelming" answered Shelagh and then sighed

"Yes it is, my aunt told me about how hard it gets. It's not like I didn't believe her, but actually experiencing it is totally different" said Charlotte

"Enough with this, I want to know more about you all, now do you have any pets?" asked Charlotte

"I do not" said Shelagh

"Me neither, not much room for one in my Mum's flat" said Alice

"We have a dog of mixed breed, her name is Millie and I love and miss her very much" Charlotte told them

"That's nice" Shelagh replied

"Why don't we each ask a question? Charlotte said hers and mine is how much of London have you two seen?" Alice stated

"Just Victoria station and the two streets Charlotte and I walked through on Sunday" Shelagh answered

"And we went to a park" Charlotte added

"You have to let me take you all around London sometime, you have to see all the sights" Alice exclaimed

"What will you ask Shelagh?" Alice added

"What kind of nursing do you two want to do?" she asked

"I think I might like the emergency department" said Alice

"I would like to work with children" said Charlotte

"What about you?" Alice questioned

"I am not really sure, but I guess I have plenty of time to figure it out" she replied

"Yes you do" said Charlotte

They finished their lunch and walked back to The London and into the classroom. They sat in lecture and was dismissed at four as promised. They walked back to the Nurse's Home and they all three relaxed in Shelagh and Charlotte's room. She went to bed that night, relieved that she really made it through her first day of nursing school, but also anxious about what was ahead.


	15. Chapter 15

Shelagh, Charlotte and Alice were studying together late that Thursday night getting ready for their test the next day. They had been studying for an hour each night together, but tonight they had been studying for over an hour. They sat in Shelagh and Charlotte's room quizzing each other from their textbooks.

Instead of asking another question, Charlotte said "I really hope that we do well on this tests, I can't afford to get a low grade on this"

"We have been studying very hard for this test, we are going to be fine" said Alice

"Yes, we will go into that test knowing that we have studied our hardest for this test and praying about it will help too" Shelagh told her

"You're right" Charlotte said still not completely at ease

"I think it is about time for a study break" Shelagh said as she pulled out her lighter and a pack of Henleys from her nightstand drawer

"Oh I don't smoke, but I don't mind if you two do" said Charlotte

Shelagh felt herself cringe on the inside and she felt a tad guilty for offering the cigarettes. She often forgot that not everyone liked to smoke despite society trying to make it feel like everyone does it.

"I would love one" said Alice and Shelagh handed her one and lit it for her

"I think I am going to go to the kitchen and make a cup of tea, do you two want one?" asked Charlotte

"No thank you" they said in unison

She left and Shelagh took a cigarette out of the box and lit it for herself. She put the pack and her lighter back into the nightstand drawer before taking a drag.

"My Mum never liked me to smoke around the fabrics in her shop so I had to sneak around, but my Dad never minded it we would even smoke together some days when I would go visit" she told her

"I would steal Henley's out of my Father's desk from when I was fourteen until right before I moved here. It is one of the best ways to relax after a stressful day" she stated

"I'm with you there" Alice replied and took another drag

Charlotte came back with a cup of tea and sat down on her bed before taking a sip.

"I know it is getting late, but I really needed this cup of tea. It calms me down after a hard day" said Charlotte

"Drinking tea is a good way to relax" Shelagh replied

Shelagh and Alice finished their cigarettes as Charlotte finished her tea in a comfortable silence. They put their cigarettes out on the ashtray on Shelagh's nightstand and Charlotte put her empty tea cup on her nightstand.

Alice looked at her watch and said "It is getting late, I should probably head back to my room so we can get a good nights rest before the test"

"Sounds good" said Charlotte

"Goodnight" said Shelagh and she smiled

Alice walked out of the room and Charlotte said "Thanks for suggesting the study break, I needed that"

"You're welcome" she replied

She went to the bathroom to get a shower and then not long after that they went to bed.

* * *

The next day after prayer, Shelagh looked down at her test paper ready to answer the questions. She got through first few questions with ease, but then she got to some of the trickier ones and questioned everything she studied. Was that mentioned in lecture, she asked herself as she looked at some of the questions. A lot of them seemed to have two good answers and it was a matter of choosing the best one. She turned in her test, more anxious than she was when she started the test. But worrying about it wouldn't make her score any better, so she went back to her seat and thought of the park that her and Charlotte went to on Sunday to calm herself down. Lecture started again and she focused in and took as many notes as she could.

Later that day during lunch, Charlotte said "That test was a lot harder than I expected, I don't think I did very well"

"Yes it was pretty tricky and left me more worried than when I started" Shelagh replied

"It was the hardest test that I have ever taken" said Alice

"Hopefully we did better than what we think" said Shelagh

"Why don't I take you two sightseeing after class today to get our minds off of the test?" asked Alice

"That sounds good" said Charlotte

"I think that will be fun" said Shelagh

"It is set then, we will come back to change out of our uniforms and then we will go and catch a bus" said Alice

The lecture after lunch seemed to drag on forever, but then four o' clock finally arrived and they left as quickly as they could without being obvious. They got back to the Nurses Home and went into their rooms to change. They met on the front lobby of the Nurses Home, ready to go on their adventure.

"Where are you taking us first as our tour guide?" Shelagh quipped

"Well I thought that I would take you two to see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace first then we can take the bus over to see London Bridge and eat dinner at one of the Borough Market restaurants" she replied mater of factly

"But don't expect me to tell you a whole bunch of facts though" she added jokingly

"I am excited to see some of the sights" Charlotte stated

They followed her out of the Nurse's Home and to the nearest bus stop.

"Now help me look out for the 72 bus" said Alice

"I will, but I'm not sure if we should trust Shelagh" Charlotte quipped

"Why not?" Alice questioned

"Because she got on the wrong bus on the way over here" she answered and giggled

"Yes, it was not one of my best moments" Shelagh said laughing along with them

"Well the bus system can be tricky at first" Alice stated

They waited another fifteen minutes before the number 72 bus arrived. They got on and paid their fare when the collector came by to get their money. Charlotte and Alice sat together and Shelagh sat in the row in front of them by herself.

A couple of stops later, Alice said "It's time to get off"

They followed her off of the bus and down the street and the next thing she knew, she was looking at Buckingham Palace.

"Now when you come to London, seeing where the royals live is essential" she told them as they looked at the huge building in front of them.

"It is so magnificent" said Shelagh as she admired the intricate details of the black and gold fence. The big grayish white building was so much grander in person. She got out the camera Ella gave her and took a picture.

"Is is too late for me to quit nursing training become a princess?" asked Charlotte jokingly

"Unfortunately I think so" Alice replied

After admiring it for a few more moments, they walked away from the palace and crossed through a park until they made it over to where Big Ben stood. Shelagh's mouth opened slightly in awe as she admired the extravagant structure in person. The sun made the gold shine on it so beautifully.

"Seeing it in person is so much different than the pictures I have seen" said Shelagh

"It is so beautiful" said Charlotte

"Yes it is and is a must see for all of those that visit London" said Alice

Shelagh once again took out her camera and got a picture of Big Ben. They looked at it for a few more moments and then Alice said "Time to get the next bus"

They followed her to the bus stop and then she said "Look out for the 54 bus"

"Alright" Shelagh and Charlotte said in unison

About ten minutes later, the bus arrived and the got on and paid their fare. It wasn't quite as long of a bus ride as the first one and they got off by what Shelagh assumed was Borough Market. They followed Alice down the street and they entered the market.

"They have just about any type of food or drink that you can think of here. We can look around and then get something to eat and find a bench to enjoy our meal at while looking at London Bridge" said Alice

"Sounds good" said Charlotte

"That will be fine" said Shelagh

They walked through and looked at the fresh produce for sale and other food items along with the other random trinkets that filled the market. Despite the diverse food choices they all ended up getting fish and chips. They walked over to a bench facing London Bridge and sat down.

As they ate their dinner, Charlotte said "The river reminds me a lot of the river in Manchester"

"The way the light from the sunset hits the water is so pretty. I have never seen anything quite like it" said Shelagh

"Isn't there a river in Aberdeen?" asked Alice

"Yes, but the few times that me and my Da visited Aberdeen, it was errand related so we stayed inland the whole time" she replied

"Did your Mother ever go with you two?" Charlotte asked

"If she did it was when I was younger and unable to remember it, she died when I was eight from pneumonia" she told them. It still hurt her when she had to tell people, but after nine years it had become a little easier.

"I'm sorry for your loss" said Alice

"I feel foolish for bringing it up, I'm so sorry" said Charlotte

"It's fine, I am used to it and I don't expect people to automatically know" said Shelagh

They finished their meal and then went back to the bus stop to go back to the Nurses Home. When they arrived back home, they all went to take a shower before heading to their rooms to wind down for the night. When Shelagh got back into her room, she sat at the small desk in her room and wrote a letter to her Da and Ella telling of her first days of training, meeting Charlotte and Alice along with the adventures she had already been on in London. She put the letters in an envelope, stamped them and addressed them before she went to bed for the night.


	16. Chapter 16

The eight weeks that followed went by in a blur. Every week consisted of trying to write down all of what they were saying in class and spent just about all of her extra time studying for the tests that came each Friday. There wasn't much time for them to really go out anywhere except for church on Sundays or to go out to eat for lunch from time to time. They had lost five ladies so far from their class that originally started out with thirty, which saddened her, but thankfully Alice and Charlotte were still in the program. They had to learn so much in such little time and the tests were the hardest she had ever taken in her life. It also didn't help that they had to have at least a C by their skill validations to be approved to start working shifts as a student nurse. Shelagh had a B and she was pretty sure her friends would be alright too, but just one bad test grade could break you real quick which put them in a constant state of worry.

They sat in their classroom in groups as they practiced the skills that they would be graded on based on their performance of the skills in front of Sister Crawford and Sister Hastings. Alice, Charlotte and herself were currently practicing giving injections using oranges.

"I never thought that I would spend a Friday evening giving jabs to an orange when I filled out my application to train as a nurse" said Alice

"Me neither" Charlotte replied and they all laughed in unison

"Training as a nurse is nothing of what I expected it to be and we haven't even worked our first shift yet" Charlotte stated as they kept

laughing

"You're not wrong" said Alice

"My Da is a greengrocer which makes me wonder what he would think of us using oranges to practice nursing skills" Shelagh added

"It is pretty peculiar, isn't it?" said Alice

As they continued to practice, Charlotte asked "How will we get through next week. I never been the one who enjoys performing in front of a crowd?"

Alice and Shelagh stopped laughing considering the seriousness of Charlotte's question.

"Besides being in the choir back at home, I really don't like performing in front of crowds either, especially with these skills that are so new to us" Shelagh replied

"Well all we can do is study the best we can and hopefully it will go by swiftly" said Alice

"I sure hope so" said Charlotte

They went through the other stations as swiftly as they could, but still making sure that they got enough time to practice. Just as they were about to leave, Sister Hastings came in and said "Here is the schedule for validations next Monday and Tuesday". She held a sheet of paper in hand and placed it on the bulletin board. All of the students walked over to the board to see when their turn would be. She walked over with them to see where her name would fall. She didn't have to look very far because she found that she would go on Monday morning at nine.

"I guess you will get to tell us how it goes Shelagh since you're one of the first ones to go" said Alice

"That's right. When do you go?" she asked her

"My turn is on Tuesday morning at ten" she told her

"That is nice" she replied

Charlotte walked over and said "I am doing my validations on Monday afternoon at one"

"That's good" said Shelagh

They walked out of class that day ready for validations to be over with.

* * *

The weekend went by briskly and Monday morning had arrived despite Shelagh's internal pleads for the days to go by slowly. She stood outside of the classroom with butterflies fluttering away at her stomach as she waited for her name to be called. No matter what happened that day, she knew that she studied and would have tried her hardest, but she couldn't imagine the heartbreak of letting go of something she wanted so badly.

"Shelagh Mannion" Sister Hastings called

She walked into the classroom where the supplies were set along with Pupil nurses that were ahead of the program there for the vital signs and assessment portion of the validation. Once Sister Crawford and Sister Hastings were seated, she started performing the skills required to pass the validation. Once she started talking, the skills she had spent hours studying came right to her. Nervousness still dwelled inside of her, but it also empowered her in a strange way, she realized.

Vital signs was the skill that she chose to do last, which consisted of taking a temperature, heart rate, rate of breathing and a blood pressure reading. Sister Crawford walked over to where the pupil student sat with two blood pressure cuffs sitting bedside her along with a mercury thermometer. She suddenly became nauseous at the through that she could only be two off from Sister Hastings readings to pass. Shelagh informed the student that she would be taking her vital signs like she would a real patient and placed the thermometer underneath her tongue. She then placed the cuff on her left arm as Sister Hastings placed her cuff on the student's right arm. Shelagh took a deep breath before putting the earbuds to her stethoscope into her ears and pumping the cuff to 160. She thankfully heard the reading and with all of the confidence she could muster, she said "115/70"

Sister Hastings looked at her sternly before saying "That is what I got also"

She then took the thermometer out of the woman's mouth and looked at it before saying "It reads 98.8*F"

Sister Hastings looked it over and said "That is correct"

She then palpated the student's radial pulse as Sister Hastings did her right arm. After she timed it out, she did the math in her head and said "Her pulse rate is 75"

"I got 73, but you still pass" said Sister Hastings

Sister Hastings went back over and signed off her papers and said "Come initial for me please"

She walked over to the desk where the instructors sat and signed the paperwork that was needed.

"Thank you for coming in today and you are now officially ready to work a shift as a student nurse" said Sister Crawford

"Thank you for taking this time with me" she replied

"You're welcome and you can tell the next student to come in" she told her

She walked out and let out a breath she did not know she was holding in before telling the next student to come in. She had a huge grin on her face as she walked back to the Nurse's Home. She was greeted with Charlotte and Alice congratulating her and she answered all of her questions about how everything worked. That afternoon, Charlotte came back in with a smile about as big as hers was that morning with news of passing also.

The next morning, they accompanied Alice to The London to wait outside the classroom because they didn't have anything else to study at the moment. They waited outside with anticipation of Alice receiving the same results as they did. Instead, they found her coming out with tears in her eyes.

"What happened" Charlotte asked gently

"I didn't pass on vital signs" she answered

"It's going to be alright. Remember you get two more attempts" Shelagh assured her

"I know it is just scary because if I couldn't get it this time, how will I get it again?" She asked as the tears fell

"We have practiced this so many times, you will get it just take a deep breath and focus" Shelagh told her and gave her a hug

"Yes you got this" said Charlotte as she hugged her

Alice went back in and Shelagh and Charlotte held hands and prayed for their friend. When they finished, they stood by each other in silence, both worried about what could possibly lie ahead. She thought about how Alice's confidence would be shattered if she didn't get it a second time and she wasn't sure if Alice would even try a third attempt.

They saw the door open and Alice had a smile on her face with tears of joy "I made it" she said when she closed the door

"I knew you could do it" said Shelagh

"That is wonderful news" said Charlotte as they all embraced in a big hug

"Now I am ready for a nap" Alice replied and they all laughed in unison

They walked back to the Nurse's home with joy that day and Shelagh was grateful for that.


	17. Chapter 17

The material of her nursing uniform scrapped at her arms as she walked down the street from the Nurse's Home to the hospital. She felt full of energy between the caffeine in the tea she had that morning kicking in and the adrenaline that stemmed from the nervousness of starting her first shift at The London. Despite being in lecture five days a week for two months, she still felt ill prepared for the day ahead.

"Where are you assigned to?" asked Alice as they walked down the street

"Male surgical. How about you?" asked Shelagh

"The ENT ward. I hear it is mostly patients recovering from various sinus surgeries" she replied

"Charlotte where are you going?" Shelagh asked

"I got assigned to female surgical" she replied

"I wish we would have gotten into a group together" Charlotte added

"Me too' said Shelagh

"Maybe we will next month" Alice added

"Hopefully so" said Charlotte

They arrived at the hospital and were split off into groups according to where they were assigned. Shelagh walked with the other five ladies that were assigned to her group up two flights of stairs and across the hall to the doors that lead into the male surgical ward. "This is it", she thought to herself as the acting sister of the ward opened the door to let them in.

"Good morning ladies, I am Sister Tidwell and I will be the one watching after you all today" She told them

"What are all of your names?" She asked them

She listed to the other women answer until Sister Tidwell looked at her and she said "I'm Pupil Nurse Mannion"

Two other girls answered before Sister Tidwell said "Most of our patient population are recovering from surgery, but we do occasionally get admits from the geriatric and cardiovascular wards when they become overcrowded. We have ten beds in the ward, which I assume you have already been taught how the hospital beds work along with the other equipment that we use"

"Yes Sister" they replied in unison

"Good. Now we will meet back at my desk at noon and you will have an hour break for lunch. Now here is your patient assignments"

She listed off the assignments to the other students, but she suddenly became alert when she heard her name called. "Pupil Nurse Mannion, you will be with Mr. Wilson. He is a 54 year old male that is two days post-op from a cholecystectomy. He also has a history of arthritis"

"Yes Sister" she replied as she wrote the information down

After everyone received their assignment for the day, she told them "Now go introduce yourself to your patient and get your eight o' clock vitals"

She walked over anxiously, afraid of possibly saying the wrong thing to her patient or him see her mess something up and think that she is incompetent as a student nurse. She took a deep breath before she opened the curtain and said "Hello Mr. Wilson, I am pupil nurse Mannion and I am going to be taking care of you today. I am going to get your vital signs now"

"Sounds good" he replied half asleep. She didn't mean to wake him, but they had gone over in class that sometimes there is no other choice but to wake the patient to do what you need to do.

She nervously grabbed the blood pressure cuff from the side of the bed and placed on his arm. She got her reading and then went on to get his temperature, respiration rate and heart rate as he rested.

"Thank you Mr. Wilson" she told him

He did not respond due to his drowsiness, so she walked off and went to go find Sister Tidwell to report her findings. She was redirected to the nurse in charge of his care and she reported the vitals to her.

Afterwards, they split up in pairs and were assigned patients to deliver their breakfast tray to and to give them a bed bath when they finished eating.

Her partner, Sylvia asked "Are you ready to do this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be" she replied

They went and gave the patients they were assigned their breakfast trays along with getting them anything else they needed. To their favor, each patient was awake and accepted their meal. After giving them ample time to eat, they collected the trays and got the supplies needed to give each patient a bed bath. She was worried that she might blush when she saw a penis for the first time. She had seen the drawings during their anatomy lectures, but she had never seen it in person before considering she was unmarried.

As she and Sylvia worked together to bathe their first patient, she tried to brace herself mentally and reminded herself of what they learned in class about treating this type of matter in a practical way. She was able to compose herself better than she expected and got the task done in a respectable manner. After doing some charting and restocking the refreshment room, she went to lunch that day feeling humbled by what she had done so far in her nursing duties. She wanted to humbly serve and honour God through nursing and she felt like she found success in the half day that she had so far.

After lunch, she brought Mr. Wlison his lunch tray and decided that she would stay with him for a while to get to know him a little better. She walked up to his bed and said "Here is your lunch" as she placed the tray on his bedside table.

"Thank you" he told her

"You're welcome" she replied

"Will you have anyone come by during visiting hours?" she asked before she realized that there could have been a better way to word that.

"My wife comes and sees me everyday and my children come by when they can" he answered

"Thats good" she replied as he took a bite of his baked chicken

"What part of Scotland are you from?" he asked her

"Inverurie, which is a small town about an hour train ride away from Aberdeen" she answered. Her accent made everyone curious about how she ended up in London.

"That's nice" he stated

"What so you do for a living?" she questioned

"I was a doctor, but I had to retire early because of my arthritis" he told her

"Well I am sorry to hear that" she said

"Don't be. It was hard at first, but now I enjoy a more laid back lifestyle" he replied

Just then, the nurse in charge of his care came in with his penicillin jab.

"I was about to give his injection, but you can do it if you would like" she told Shelagh

She felt her heart racing out of her chest at the though of giving an injection to a former doctor as she said "Yes Nurse, that would be fine"

She gave the already prepared vile to her and stood over her as she uncovered the blanket and exposed his hip so she could give the jab. She uncapped the needle before taking a deep breath and punctured the needle into his skin. She quickly pulled the plunger to inject the medicine inside of him. She withdrew the needle and properly disposed of the needle.

"Good job" he told her

"Thank you" she replied and looked over to the nurse who wore a straight face

"Do you need anything else?" she asked him

"I am fine" he replied

"Well I will see you later" she told him and left his beside

Before she knew it, their shift was over and they all headed back to the Nurses Home for dinner.

"How was everyone's day?" asked Charlotte

"It was good, the ENT ward was pretty uneventful" said Alice

"I gave a jab to my patient today" said Shelagh

"You did" Charlotte and Alice said shockingly in unison

"Yes, I did alright I guess, but it was so cool to get to put a skill like that into action" said Shelagh

"My day went by more swiftly than I expected, but I didn't get to give an injection" said Charlotte

"You two will get your turn eventually" she said

"I know what we should do on Friday night" said Alice

"And what is that?" questioned Shelagh

"We need to celebrate our first week of making it through shifts at the pub" Alice told them

Shelagh had never had alcohol before in her life, she had seen far too many people in the small town she grew up in get wasted at the local pub in Inverurie and didn't want to end up like that. But she also had seen people enjoy a drink with their dinner without getting out of control and she wanted to spend time with her new friends.

She looked over at Charlotte who looked like she was going to a similar thought process before stating "That would be good. What time?"

"I think we could leave right after dinner Friday night to make it back before the Nurses Home doors lock at ten" Alice replied

"Sounds good" Shelagh replied

"Are you in?" Alice asked Charlotte

"Yes, I would like to give it a try" she answered

"Great, I think we are going to have a great time" Alice said with excitement.


	18. Chapter 18

They walked outside the Nurses Home and turned left towards the bus station. Shelagh wore her hair down for the first time in a long while and was wearing her favourite pale blue dress.

"Now I think it is best if we do not go to a pub around here, so I am going to take us to a popular pub on the west end of London" she told them

"I think that is for the best" Charlotte replied

"Agreed" Shelagh stated

They arrived at the bus stop and waited for about ten minutes before the bus they needed arrived. They paid their fare and the bus started moving.

"Have you two ever been to a pub before?" She asked them

"I haven't, but I have had a drink before at my graduation party" replied Charlotte

"I have never been to a pub" Shelagh answered, but chose not to mention that she had never had alcohol before to not look prudish around her new friends.

"Don't worry, I will show you two the ropes and I might even get you all to dance before the evening is over" Alice replied and giggled

"Maybe so" Shelagh replied. She was relieved that they did not ask if she had ever had alcohol before.

It wasn't much longer when Alice told them that it was time to get off the bus. Shelagh was surprised to find that the pub was right by the bus stop, which she sensed that would be of great use later that evening. They walked up to the front entrance to find a man that was doing ID checks. Shelagh opened her purse and got out her identification card she had made before she came to London. She presented it to him and he let her in. Charlotte and Alice were able to get through also and followed behind her.

They walked inside and she was engulfed by the smell of cigarette smoke and a loud band playing jazz music. It was dimly lit with a good crowd of people. There were some people dancing like Alice had mentioned, but the others were either standing around with a drink in hand or sitting at the bar. They followed Alice to the other end of the bar where three seats were available and they sat down.

"What do you recommend us to get to drink?" Charlotte asked Alice

"Pale ale is always a good choice, or a glass of white or red wine, or some gin" Alice replied

"I think I'll have a glass of white wine" Charlotte stated confidently

Shelagh wasn't really sure what to choose, so she picked the one that sounded the most appealing at that moment by saying "I want a glass of red wine"

"Sounds good, I will start out with a glass of white wine also" Alice told them and flagged down the bartender. He came by swiftly and collected their drink orders.

They looked around the pub from where they were sitting and Charlotte asked "Is it usually this crowded?"

"Yes, I have been here a couple of times and this is about what the typical crowd is like" she answered

"It is nice in here" Shelagh commented

"It is my favourite pub to visit" Alice stated

The bartender came back with two glasses of white wine and a glass of red wine. They thanked him and unison and Shelagh braced herself before taking the first sip. It didn't taste too bad, but it had a certain wang to it that she couldn't quite describe. She took another sip and found that it made her stomach feel it was burning a couple of seconds later. It wasn't until the third sip that she realized that the wine had a bitter taste to it and still wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

"How is your drink?" Alice asked looking at Shelagh

"It is good" she replied as convincingly as she could

"I'm glad that you like it" Alice replied

"How about you two?" Shelagh questioned

"Mine is good as always" Alice replied

"My drink is just fine" Charlotte told them

They sat by each other in a comfortable silence, taking in the crowd of people that surrounded them in the pub. It felt nice to her to get away from the pressures of nursing training, even if it was just for one night.

She was last to finish her drink and Alice asked "Another round?"

"I'm in" said Charlotte

She was already feeling pretty relaxed by the end of the first glass and feared of what another might do. And they needed someone to make sure they left on time to make it back to the Nurses Home before curfew, so she replied "I am good with just water"

"Are you sure?" Alice asked gently

"Yes I am sure" Shelagh replied

The matter was not questioned any more as Alice flagged down the bartender and gave them their drink order once again, She was glad they did not try to force another drink on her and it also showed her the type of friends that they were.

After Alice and Charlotte finished their second drinks, they all paid their tabs.

"Let's dance" said Alice

"Alright" Charlotte replied

They all got up and followed Alice to the dance floor where a faster song was playing at the time. They formed a small circle and began to move to the beat of the music. Shelagh found that holding the sides of her dress and swaying side to side worked for every single one. She could't remember the last time she danced in a group like this and she had a lot more fun than she expected. Lots of giggles were exchanged between the three of them as the songs kept playing back to back. They even spun each other around occasionally as they danced.

Later, she looked at her watch and realized that it was time for them to leave so they could be on time.

"it is time for us to go" she told them

"Sounds good, let's go" said Alice

"No, just one more song" Charlotte replied as she laughed

"No, we have to go" Shelagh told her firmly

"Really?" she asked

"Yes we do" Shelagh replied and grabbed her arm gently to lead her out with Alice walking out beside her. Alice and Charlotte kept on making each other laugh, which was easy for them considering that they were slightly tipsy as they waited for the next bus to arrive. Eventually, Shelagh joined in on the laughter and determined that they would have to come here again soon. The bus arrived and the ride back to the Nurses Home went by uneventfully. They got back in time as excepted and she walked back to her room that night glad that she decided to go on the outing.


	19. Chapter 19

She finished her round of male surgical and then did a month on the ENT ward and a month of female surgical. She couldn't picture herself working on a male surgical ward forever, but it wasn't a terrible clinical experience either. ENT was pretty boring to her as Alice said, but it was also more predictable which made things easier. She liked female surgical well and was her favourite out of the three wards she had worked so far. They spent the first two weeks in December in lecture since the wards preferred they worked in month increments and they would only have two and a half weeks before they were dismissed for winter break. She took her midterm the last day before they were dismissed until the new year. She felt like she did good on the exam along with Alice and Charlotte.

They sat at dinner that night after their midterms, which would also be the last meal that they would all share together before they went to their homes the next day. The cooks had made Christmas dinner for them that night, which wasn't quite as good as the one she would have at home, but was still a tasteful meal.

"What do you two usually do for Christmas" asked Shelagh

"Well I spend Christmas Eve with my Dad, Stepmum and the boys and Christmas Day with my mum, Grandparents and Aunt Ruby" Alice replied

"We do Christmas Eve at my Grandparent's house and then we all go over to the aunt that used to be a nurse along with my uncle and cousins house for Christmas Day for a big feast" Charlotte answered

"What about you Shelagh?" Asked Charlotte

"Christmas Eve it is just me and my Da, but for Christmas Day, my great aunt Marjorie cooks a meal at my house and her family comes along with a good friend of mine and her family to celebrate" she told them

"That sounds fun" said Alice

"It is" Shelagh replied

"I am going to miss you two over the break" said Charlotte

"Me too, I am so glad that we have become friends though this" Shelagh replied

"I don't know how I would have gotten though it without you two" Alice told them

"I will be glad to get some rest though from the tiring clinicals" Charlotte said

"Me too" said Alice

"Same" said Shelagh

They finished their meal and them went into their rooms to finish packing before they went to bed. The next morning, they said their goodbyes and hugged one another before Alice went to the bus and Shelagh along with Charlotte went over to the train station. They boarded their separate trains and were off to their hometowns before they knew it. It had already started to snow in London and Shelagh knew that it would be snowing twice as much in Scotland. Thankfully, she was able to make it to the Inverurie train station without delay.

She wrote to her Da when she would be returning, but wasn't sure if he would be able to come greet her when she arrived at the station. She had a key to the house to be able to let herself in either way. When cleared, she exited the train and made her way to leave the station. She took a couple of steps to find her Da standing there with a bouquet of flowers. She ran up to him and gave him a big hug and he hugged her back.

"Da, you came" she exclaimed

"Of course I came, I have missed you so much" he told her

"I missed you too Da" she replied

"I'm glad to hear that you still have your Scottish accent" he quipped

"Yes I do Da" she playfully scolded

"Although people ask me all of the time what part of Scotland I am from" she added

"Oh how funny" he stated

She grabbed the flowers and he carried her suitcase for her before they left the station. They walked down the street in the bitter cold over to their house.

"I am glad to get to see the country streets of Inverurie covered in snow, I have missed that" she told him

"Does it not snow in London?" he asked her

"It does it is just not quite the same as home" she answered

They arrived at their house and he opened the door where the warmth she always remembered greeted her at the door, along with a home cooked meal. She walked into the kitchen to find Auntie Marjorie cooking one of her favourite winter meals, Cullen skink with bread.

"Auntie Marjorie, it smells so good, thank you for making it" she told her

"You're welcome dear. We are just so glad that are home" she replied

"I have missed you too" said Shelagh

They ate their meal and she answered all of their questions about training and the new friends that she had made. They laughed together as they ate, which made Shelagh miss her hometown even more.

Afterwards, she opened her suitcase to get the presents that she had gotten for them and brought them into the sitting room.

"So I brought something back for the each of you" she told them

"Marjorie, I got you a hand crochet wallet and a packet of tea made in London" she told her as she handed it to her

"Thank you so much" she replied

"And Da, I got you two containers of Harrods Coffee, which they say is the best in London" she said as she handed it to him

"You didn't have to get me anything, thank you" he replied gently

"You're welcome" she told him

Marjorie went home not long after that and Shelagh entered her room for the first time since she had been back home. She looked around at the room that had become so familiar to her over the years, but she felt as if it belonged to a past version of herself and not to the young woman that had been through almost six months of nursing training. She expected it to be a comfort to her like the rest of the sights and people she had seen since she came back to Inverurie, but it felt strange to her to be back in her old bedroom. She was still able to fall asleep that night thankfully because of her tiring day of travel.

* * *

The next morning, she walked down the street towards Ella's flat. Her Mum and Dad had written to her before she left inviting her to a party to celebrate the end of Ella's first semester of university. They thought it would be nice if she would be there to surprise Ella at the party. She walked up to the coffee shop at the time stated on her letter and was let in by Ella's sister, Margaret. She looked around the shop to see that they had put up a few party decoration and had tea and cake freshly made on the counter.

"We are so glad you were able to make it" said Ella's mum as she entered the shop with her husband along with some of Ella's other relatives.

"Thank you for having me" she told her

"You are always welcome" she replied

A couple of minutes later, Ella entered the shop with a shocked look on her face at the party that was thrown for her. She then look over at Shelagh and ran over to hug her. She wrapped her arms around her to hug her back as she said "I missed you so much"

"I miss you too, I am so glad that you are here" Ella replied

Ella went and greeted the other relatives that were there before getting a cup of teas along with a slice of cake. She sat down at the same table that Shelagh sat with her own tea and cake so they could catch up. They had written to each other throughout the time they were apart, but there was only so much you could fit in a letter.

"How is school going?" asked Shelagh

"It is going good, I made A's in everything except maths, which I made a B. What about you?" She told her

"I am passing, so that is always a blessing" she answered

"Is it as hard as they say it is?" Ella questioned

"Yes it is, but it is totally worth it" she replied

"How do you like Aberdeen University?" She added

"I like it better than I thought I would. It is still somewhere new even though it is not London and my roommate is nice, so I can't complain" she stated

"How is London?" She asked

"It has become a second home to me. I really enjoy living there despite the ongoing war. I also was blessed with a nice roommate" she replied

"I am glad to hear that" she stated

"I have something for you from London" said Shelagh as she handed Ella a paper bag.

She watched Ella look inside to see a pink blouse and a packet of London tea inside the bag.

"The blouse is beautiful and I can't wait to try the tea. They say it is a lot better in London. Thank you" she told her

"It definitely is and you're welcome" Shelagh replied

They finished their tea and cake as they shared stories with one another about their adventures they had since Shelagh left for London. She loved that they could carry on as if they had just seen each other the day before, nothing quite beat her friendship with Ella. She was the last to leave that night, but nobody seemed to mind.

Before she knew it, Christmas Day arrived and the usual festivities took place. Her and Da would always visit her Ma's grave that morning after breakfast. Christmas was never the same without her Ma, but over the years she as able to find joy in the friends and family she still had around. She received a stationary kit, a dress, a blouse with a skirt and a handbag from her Da for Christmas. She also surprised him with a pocket knife with his name engraved in it from London. She helped Marjorie cook that afternoon and that evening they were joined by Marjorie's grown son and daughter along with their spouses and children. Ella and her family also joined them for dinner after they spent the day with their extended family. They had some people seated in the sitting room to eat because there were so many of them, but it was fine. They laughed and she even got to hear some of the town gossip of things that happened since she was gone. Someone had mentioned that Henry was courting Jillian Stewart, a girl she had gone to school with that was a level below her along with Henry and is to graduate at the end of May. She was surprised that he was courting someone so soon, but she was also glad that he found someone else. After dinner, they had played some card games like they always did. They didn't get to bed until after 11 that night, but she was grateful to have that time with her family and friends and would of had it any other way.

The rest of her winter break went by quickly for her. She got to play in the snow with Ella like they usually did over Christmas break and also got a chance to see the members of her old church before she had to leave. Her and Da were invited over to Ella's house for a New Year's Eve celebration and they went, but left early like they always did because neither one of them like staying up really late. On January 3rd, her Da along with Ella accompanied her to the train station to send her off to London once again. They all said their goodbyes and hugged one another much like the first time she went away to London. She missed London along with the friends she made in a weird way while she was in Inverurie. She was sad to leave her family, but was also excited to get back to her new home and pursue her most important calling of her life, to train as a nurse.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Shelagh came back to be greeted by her newfound friends and they began the next term of her education. Alice and her found out that Charlotte's sister got engaged on Christmas and they were going to have a summer wedding in August so Charlotte could be there as her maid of honor. The spring term was exceptionally hard for Shelagh as she spent January and February in the psychiatric ward, which was understaffed and neglected due to the stigma of needing medical attention for mental health. Most of her patients terrified her, but she knew that they couldn't help it just like if someone has a physical illness. The anniversary of her Ma's death was also during that time and she felt guilty along with being sad because she was at school instead of being with her Da to visit her grave. Her grades also slipped, leaving her at the possibly of not passing the term.

Spring came around and she finally got to go to the pediatric ward, which she really enjoyed. She was also able to make a better test grades and passed the spring term. The war also finally ended which was a relief to them all. She enjoyed being in London and her friendship with Alice and Charlotte grew stronger as they went to school together. She eventually ended up being assigned the same ward with them for one month, which was a lot of fun for her. She went back to Scotland for each break she had that summer and she was thankfully able to spend Christmas once again back at home.

The next year flew by with the increased amount of schoolwork and nursing duties of being a second year student. The highlight of 1946 was the trip to the seaside that Shelagh took with Alice and Charlotte during their summer break. It was her very first trip to the beach and besides getting terribly sunburnt, she had an amazing time. The view from their room was one of the prettiest things that she had ever seen.

The final year of her nursing training arrived and they were all more antsy than ever to finally be done with nursing school. That January of 1947 she was assigned the maternity ward and she felt like she had finally found where she wanted to work as a nurse. She teared up as she watched her first live birth and she felt like she had found her calling as she helped women through the various stages of childbirth. She talked to the Acting Sister of the ward, who recommended her to train as a midwife upon graduation from nursing school. She couldn't fill out her application fast enough to start midwifery school after she passed her certification test to become a next couple of months seemed to drag on since she wasn't working at the maternity ward. Her, Charlotte and Alice pulled many all nighters to study for their certification test and they all passed that June.

Alice accepted a job as an emergency ward nurse at The London, but they were saddened to learn that Charlotte wanted to move back to Manchester with her family and accepted a position as a pediatric nurse at a hospital there. She explained that a part of her was always sad from missing her family back home, but she was grateful for her experience in London and for their friendship. She also felt guilty for missing out on the life of her nephew and wanted to be there for the birth of her second niece or nephew. They were understanding of that and she left shortly after that. Alice moved in with Shelagh and she was excited for what was ahead for her. She accepted a job working in female surgical while she attended midwifery training.

Her life changed forever when she received a call on September 15th from Auntie Marjorie. She told her that her dad collapsed at work and that he was pronounced dead upon arrival of the local doctor. The doctor suspected that he died from a heart attack. She sobbed all night that night with Alice providing her tea and lots of hugs. She felt so guilty for not being there for him the last days of his life. She was also heartbroken that she would never get to talk to him or hug him ever again. She was also shocked that her visit to Scotland in August became the last time she would ever get to see him alive. The instructor of the midwifery program gave her a week off so she could go home and take care of things. She went back home to find that Marjorie had made the arrangements for his viewing and burial to be on the nineteenth, which gave Shelagh a day to get settled and to help with the final details regarding the funeral. She shed many tears the next day as they laid her father to rest next to her Ma, but Ella and Marjorie never left her side. She was brought back to the dark place that she was at when her Ma first died, she didn't think it would be so soon.

She sold his flat to a landlord who had two other rental properties on the street her Da lived on and spent her remaining days in Inverurie donating most of his things and handling money matters. She kept a few things of sentimental value and most of the money he had left paid for funeral expenses. Marjorie walked her to the train station to send her off and she told her that she would be in her prayers. Shelagh thankfully wouldn't have to come back for a while because she was able to settle everything that week. Upon her arrival back home, she threw herself into her schoolwork and her job. Unlike when her Ma died, her grades improved because all she ever did was work, go to church and study. She no longer enjoyed or wanted to go to the cinema, or out dancing or exploring London. Alice eventually started to spend more time with her new coworkers than with her, but she didn't blame her.

She slowly found joy again with each birth she watched along with each baby she held and with watching mothers beam at their new child. In the February of 1948 she spent the week with a catholic order in Newcastle filled with nuns who were also midwifes. She became very fascinated with their way of life and wondered if there was a protestant order in London that did the same thing. After making some inquires at her church, she learned of a anglican order in Poplar who contained nuns that were also midwifes. After much prayer and thought she wrote to the order of St. Raymond Nonnatus asking if they were taking any new postulants. Even months after her Da's death, she still was a homebody and while she enjoyed helping bring new life into the world, she couldn't picture herself having a husband and children of her own. She also wanted to practice nursing for a long time and didn't want to give it up to marry and start a family. But most importantly, she realized that the religious life would allow her to do the two things she loved most in this world for a lifetime: pursuing a relationship with God and to practice nursing along with midwifery.

She received a response stating they would be taking postulants in July because of the introduction of the National Health would most likely increase the need for medical care in Poplar. She filled out the paperwork at her local church who sent it over to the order to be processed. She received a letter stating that upon her passing the certification test to become a midwife, she would need to arrive at Nonnatus House on July 1st. Alice tried to talk her out of it, but she had already made up her mind. She wrote Ella and Marjorie telling them of her decision and they both wished her well. Ella also informed her that she would be taking a teaching position at a primary school in Oxford. Shelagh was happy to hear that Ella would finally get to move to England like she always wanted. She put in her notice on the female surgical ward and spent her time off studying for the big test. She found out she passed on June 30th, making her officially a midwife after a long year of training.

On July 1st, 1948 she took the bus to Poplar with an empty suitcase, as she gave all of her possessions away apart from her utility shoes, her gray skirt and jacket along with the green blouse she was wearing. She walked up to Nonnatus House that morning and took a deep breath before ringing the bell. She took a deep breath, knowing she was completely certain of the choice she had made.


End file.
